title: Aggregation numbers of cationic oligomeric surfactants: a time-resolved fluorescence quenching study.
abstract: The micelle aggregation numbers (N(agg)) of several series of cationic oligomeric surfactants were determined by time-resolved fluorescence quenching (TRFQ) experiments, using advantageously 9,10-dimethylanthracene as fluorophore. The study comprises six dimeric ("gemini"), three trimeric, and two tetrameric surfactants, which are quaternary ammonium chlorides, with medium length spacer groups (C(3)-C(6)) separating the individual surfactant fragments. Two standard cationic surfactants served as references. The number of hydrophobic chains making up a micellar core is relatively low for the oligomeric surfactants, the spacer length playing an important role. For the dimers, the number decreases from 32 to 21 with increasing spacer length. These numbers decrease further with increasing degree of oligomerization down to values of about 15. As for many conventional ionic surfactants, the micelles of all oligomers studied grow only slightly with the concentration, and they remain in the regime of small micelles up to concentrations of at least 3 wt %.
authors.affiliation: Universität Potsdam, Institut für Chemie, Karl-Liebknecht-Str.25, D-14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany.
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wattebled
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Laschewsky
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moussa
authors.forename: Jean-Louis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Habib-Jiwan