COMPARATIVE STRUCTURAL STUDY OF AQUEOUS FLUORINATED NONIONIC MICELLES

The water phase behaviour of non-ionic fluorinated surfactant-based sy stems depends upon the chemical structure of the surfactant polar head . The two examined systems present a lower consolute curve with differ ent critical temperatures and concentrations. The intrinsic viscosity measurements in the dilute regime show that the micelles, obtained wit h the surfactant having a bulky polar head (two hydrophilic chains) ar e spherical, whereas the micelles obtained with the surfactant having only one hydrophilic chain are more elongated. These results are confi rmed by a more detailed structural study by small-angle neutron scatte ring of the micellar solutions. This work shows a correlation between the micelle shape and the critical concentration value (C) 1998 Elsevi er Science B.V.