Activity coefficients and free energies of nonionic mixed surfactant solutions from vapor-pressure and freezing-point osmometry.

The thermodynamic properties of mixed surfactant solutions are widely investigated, prompted by numerous practical applications of these systems and by interest in molecular association and self-organization. General techniques for measuring thermodynamic activities, such as isopiestic equilibration, are well-established for multicomponent solutions. Surprisingly, these techniques have not yet been applied to mixed surfactant solutions, despite the importance of the free energy for micelle stability.

On mixed binary surfactant systems comprising MEGA 10 and alkyltrimethylammonium bromides: a detailed physicochemical study with a critical analysis.

Self-aggregation of mixed binary nonionic and ionic surfactants comprising N-methyl-N-decanoyl glucamide (MEGA 10) and alkyltrimethylammonium bromides (C(12)-, C(14)-, and C(16)TAB) has been investigated in detail by different physical methods. The counter-ion binding, aggregation number, and polarity of the mixed micelles have been determined. The results have been analyzed in the light of the theories of Rubingh and Maeda.

Pyrene absorption can be a convenient method for probing critical micellar concentration (cmc) and indexing micellar polarity.

The critical micellar concentration (cmc) of both ionic and non-ionic surfactants can be conveniently determined from the measurements of UV absorption of pyrene in surfactant solution. The results on a number of surfactants have agreed with that realized from pyrene fluorescence measurements as well as that obtained following conductometric, tensiometric and calorimetric methods. The absorbance vs [surfactant] profiles for all the major UV spectral peaks of pyrene have been found to be sigmoidal in nature which were analyzed according to Sigmoidal-Boltzmann equation (SBE) to evaluate the cmcs of the studied surfactants.