title: Dilution induced thickening in hydrotrope-rich rod-like micelles.
abstract: Dilution induced changes in the microstructure and rheological behavior of micelles formed by a cationic surfactant-anionic hydrotrope mixture has been investigated in the hydrotrope-rich region. The surfactant used is cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and the hydrotropic salt is sodium 3-hydroxy naphthalene 2-carboxylate (SHNC). The concentration of the mixture is varied from 0.5% to 10.0% w/w (φ=0.005-0.100) at a fixed weight ratio of hydrotrope to surfactant (85:15). Rheological studies indicate Newtonian flow behavior at low and high volume fractions (0.005 and 0.100) while a shear thinning behavior is observed at intermediate volume fractions. The zero-shear viscosity η(0) also passes through a maximum upon changes in the concentration. The most striking feature in our study is that a low viscosity Newtonian fluid transforms to a viscoelastic fluid, upon dilution, and then again to a Newtonain fluid. Small angle neutron scattering studies of 10.0% micellar solution show the presence of rod-like aggregates. Upon dilution, the scattering intensity per unit concentration shows an increase in the low q-region. The nature of pair distance distribution function and subsequent model fitting indicates a transition from rod-like micelles to unilamellar vesicles upon dilution. This behavior is explained in terms of the volume fraction dependant solubilization of hydrotropes in the rod-like micelles and consequent changes in the composition of the mixed micelles.
authors.affiliation: Chemistry Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400 085, India.
authors.forename: Gunjan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Verma
authors.forename: V K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Aswal
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fritz-Popovski
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: Manmohan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Hassan