Structural Properties of Span 80/Tween 80 Reverse Micelles by Molecular Dynamics Simulations.

The sorbitan monooleate (Span 80)/poly(oxyethylene) sorbitan monooleate (Tween 80) reverse micelles (RMs) in the water-in- n-decane microemulsion were studied using the molecular dynamics simulation. The coexistence of the large RMs with the hydrodynamic radii R ∼ 10-20 nm and small RMs with R ∼ 1-2 nm was previously specified for this system. Models of both surfactants and decane were based on the united-atom approach to allow us to describe the structural properties of the small RMs.