Contamination in Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate Solutions: Insights from the Measurements of Surface Tension and Surface Rheology.

The presence of contamination in sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) solutions in the form of dodecanol (LOH) is known to drastically affect the resulting interfacial properties such as surface tension (SFT) and rheology. Dodecanol molecules, which are the product of SDS hydrolysis and are inherently present in SDS solutions, have higher surface activity compared to SDS because they are less soluble in water. A characteristic dip in the SFT isotherm is an indicator of the dodecanol contamination in the sample.