S. Kosmella et al., INTERACTIONS OF POLYELECTROLYTES WITH THE LYOTROPIC LIQUID-CRYSTALLINE SYSTEM HEXADECYLTRIMETHYLAMMONIUM BROMIDE DECANOL/WATER/, Colloids and surfaces. A, Physicochemical and engineering aspects, 112(2-3), 1996, pp. 227-231
The influence of oppositely charged polyelectrolytes on the interlayer
spacing of the lamellar liquid crystalline system hexadecyltrimethyla
mmonium bromide/decanol/water was investigated by means of small angle
X-ray diffraction and polarized microscopy. It could be demonstrated
that a liquid crystalline phase was still formed by introducing a cati
onic polymer of low molecular weight into the lamellar structure. A di
sordering of the preformed structure and a decrease of the interlayer
spacing occurred via penetration of the macromolecule between the hydr
ocarbon chains of the surfactant molecules. By using a ''penetration''
model for the disordering phenomena, ''folded'' and ''telescoped'' st
ructures are discussed. The polyanion in a polyanion/polycation mixtur
e gave the same structural change as when added alone.