A study on organized assemblies in the sodium alkylcarboxylate/fatty alcohol/water systems

The phase behavior and evolution of self-organized assembling structures in the sodium alkylcarboxylate/fatty alcohol systems were investigated by TEM . With increasing concentration of fatty alcohol, the micelles transform in to lamellar L-alpha phase, sponge L-3 phase, multilamellar vesicle, and tra nsform back to lamellar L-alpha phase. At higher alcohol concentration, a s table two aqueous phase coexisting region has been observed in this kind of systems after aged two months. Unilamellar vesicles were found both in two separated phases but the vesicle density of the upper phase is much higher than that of the bottom phase.