AN ELECTROSTATIC INVESTIGATION - HOW POLAR ARE IONIC SURFACTANT HYDROCARBON TAILS

It is shown that a negative molecular electrostatic potential (MESP) s urface completely surrounds all the atoms in any surfactant anion; fur ther, negative MESP at the hydrocarbon ends of n-dodecanoate and n-dec ylsulfate is almost six times that for the n-dodecane and n-decane mol ecules respectively; this negative MESP build-up from the polar head g roup through the molecule up to the end of the hydrocarbon tail leads to finite, decreasing hydration probability along the chain.