Phase diagrams of water, hydrocarbon, and nonionic surfactants (polyoxyethylene alkyl ethers) are presented, and their general features are related to the PIT value or HLB temperature. The pronounced solubilization changes in the isotropic liquid phases which have been observed in the HLB temperature range were limited to the association of the surfactant into micelles. The solubility of water in a liquid surfactant and the regions of liquid crystals obtained from water-surfactant interaction varied only slightly in the HLB temperature range. ^-phe phase equilibria of ionic surfactants combined with water and an A amphiphilic substance such as a long chain alcohol, carboxylic acid, or ester have been investigated in detail for a long time {1,2). The nonionic surfactants have not attracted as much interest despite the fact that they are suitable models for illustrating the association conditions which are responsible for the structure and function of biomembranes; they also present interesting problems in their temperature dependent interaction with water and hydrocarbons. This article discusses some micellar and liquid crystalline phases with nonionic substances, water, and hydrocarbons; and some factors are delineated for their association phenomena. Lipid phase behavior has an extremely important direct influence on certain biological phenomena ( Chapter 10 ) and is treated in Chapter 4. The treatment here is limited 28 Downloaded by STANFORD UNIV GREEN LIBR on September 24, 2012 |