"Snap-shooting" the interface of AOT reverse micelles: Use of chemical trapping

The first use of the phenyl cation trapping technique in "snap-shooting" th e local molar concentrations of water and sulfosuccinate head-groups in the interfacial region of AOT-2,2,4-trimethylpentane -water reverse micelles h as been accomplished. Our results demonstrate that the interfacial concentr ations of the sulfosuccinate head-groups in AOT (0.1M)-2,2,4-trimethylpenta ne-water reverse micelles are remarkably high (2.75-2.34M) across the W-0, (the molar ratio of water to surfactant) range 12 to 44. However, the inter facial concentrations of water in AOT-2,2,4-trimethylpentane -water reverse micelles across the same range of solution compositions are significantly lower (27.9-32.0M) than the molar concentration of bulk water (55.5M). The present results provide new insight on the microenvironments of interfacial ly located enzymes such as lipases entrapped in AOT - 2,2,4- trimethylpenta ne-water reverse micelles, the most extensively exploited reverse-micellar system in micellar biotechnology.