RAMAN-SPECTROSCOPIC STUDY OF BA2-SURFACTANT INTERACTIONS IN AQUEOUS MONODISPERSE ALKYLPOLYOXYETHYLENE SURFACTANT SOLUTIONS()

Aqueous monodisperse alkylpolyoxyethylene surfactant-Ba2+ systems were investigated to clarify the coordination effects between the polyethe r chain and the cation which have been previously identified in polydi sperse alkylphenoxy- and alkypolyoxyethylene surfactant systems. The c oordination effects are simplified in the present study due to the pre sence of only a single polyether chain component. Formation of the sur factant complex resulted in conformational changes of the polyether ch ain which were monitored by Raman difference spectroscopy and curve fi tting. The present studies confirm that surfactant-complex formation i s dependent upon the polyether chain adopting the TGT-TGT conformation and that the stability of the complex increases with the number of fi lled chain sites. The length of the polyether chain is also an influen cing factor.