Microemulsion Aggregation Numbers Determined by Time-Resolved Luminescence

Abstract

The time-resolved luminescence technique developed by Infelta et. al. 1 has been used to measure the aggregation numbers (number of surfactant molecules per aggregate) for microemulsions containing cetyltrimethylammonium bromid (CTAB) and cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC) as surfactants. Microemulsions are transparent dispersions of two immiscible liquids (e.g. oil and water) stabilized by an emulsifier comprising a surfactant and cosurfactant (Figure 1). The microemulsion aggregates typically have radii of 100-500 Angstroms. Microemulsions are being studied for possible use in decontamination of toxic organophosphorus compounds.