M. Gradzielski et al., Structural and macroscopic characterization of a gel phase of densely packed monodisperse, unilamellar vesicles, J PHYS CH B, 103(9), 1999, pp. 1416-1424
In the phase diagram of the surfactant system sodium oleate/octanol/water a
very stiff gel phase has been found, which is usually not present in simil
ar systems. The phases of this system have been characterized by electric c
onductivity and rheological measurements. The structures present have been
investigated by means of freeze-fracture electron microscopy and small-angl
e neutron scattering (SANS). These experiments have shown that addition of
octanol to the surfactant solution for concentrations higher than 130 mM Na
oleate leads to the formation of small unilamellar vesicles. For sufficien
tly high octanol content these vesicles are so monodisperse that they are a
ble to form a densely packed system with long-range order and with a shear
modulus that is about 100 times higher than normally found for vesicle syst
ems. Upon dilution with water the vesicles swell while keeping the packing
fraction constant until a maximum diameter of about 450 Angstrom is reached
, beyond which no further growth of the vesicles can take place. This is th
e first system of such type that forms a cubic-phase-like arrangement of mo
nodisperse vesicles.