Induced crystallization of polyelectrolyte-surfactant complexes at the gas-water interface.
Synchrotron x-ray and surface-tension studies of a strong polyelectrolyte (PE) in the semidilute regime (approximately 0.1 M monomer charges) with varying surfactant concentrations show that minute surfactant concentrations induce the formation of a PE-surfactant complex at the gas-solution interface. X-ray reflectivity and grazing angle x-ray diffraction show the complex PE-surfactant resides at the interface and the alkyl chains of the surfactant form a two-dimensional liquidlike monolayer. With the addition of salt (NaCl), columnar crystals with distorted-hexagonal symmetry are formed.
Vaknin
D
D
Ames Laboratory and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011, USA.
Dahlke
S
S
Travesset
A
A
Nizri
G
G
Magdassi
S
S
D003460:Crystallization; D004573:Electrolytes / Q000737:chemistry*; D005740:Gases; D012967:Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate / Q000737:chemistry; D013500:Surface Tension; D013501:Surface-Active Agents / Q000737:chemistry*; D017356:Synchrotrons; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
D004573:Electrolytes; D005740:Gases; D013501:Surface-Active Agents; D014867:Water; D012967:Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate