title: Surfactant transfer through a liquid membrane: origin of spontaneous oscillations at the membrane/acceptor phase interface.
abstract: Instability due to surfactant redistribution in a liquid membrane system consisting of two solutions, namely source and acceptor, separated by a layer of immiscible liquid is studied theoretically and experimentally. The transfer of a surfactant from a source phase to an acceptor phase is often accompanied by spontaneous nonlinear oscillations of electrical potential and/or interfacial tension. The oscillations can be generated at each of the membrane interfaces. Here a mechanism of oscillation, which develops at the membrane/acceptor phase interface, is proposed on the basis of direct numerical simulation of the system evolution. Performed experimental studies confirm the theoretical results.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biocolloid Chemistry, Kiev, Ukraine.
authors.forename: N M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Kovalchuk
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vollhardt
mesh_terms: D000438:Alcohols / Q000737:chemistry; D008055:Lipids / Q000737:chemistry*; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D008956:Models, Chemical; D012995:Solubility; D013501:Surface-Active Agents / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000438:Alcohols; D008055:Lipids; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D013501:Surface-Active Agents