Effect of a new hydrophobically modified polyampholyte on the formation of inverse microemulsions and the preparation of gold nanoparticles.

A new regular polyampholyte, namely poly-(N,N-dially-N,N-dimethylammonium-alt-N-octyl-maleamic carboxylate), was synthesized by alternating free radical copolymerization. The influence of the added polymer on the range of the inverse micellar region (L(2) phase) of a SDS-based system was investigated. The phase behavior as well as conductivity measurements indicate that the polymer, which forms hydrophobic microdomains, is located more in the water core of the microemulsion droplets rather than at the interface of the surfactant film.

Structural changes in poly(ethyleneimine) modified microemulsion.

The influence of branched poly(ethyleneimine) on the phase behavior of the system sodium dodecylsulfate/toluene-pentanol (1:1)/water has been studied. The isotropic microemulsions still exist when water is replaced with aqueous solutions of PEI (up to 30% in weight), but their stability is significantly influenced. From a polymer concentration of 20 wt%, the polymer enhances the solubilization of water in oil, changes the sign of the spontaneous curvature of the surfactant film, and induces an inversion of the microemulsion type from water-in-oil (L(2)) to oil-in-water (L(1)), by the formation of a bicontinuous channel.