%0 Journal Article
%A Fabozzi, Antonio
%A Russo Krauss, Irene
%A Vitiello, Rosa
%A Fornasier, Marco
%A Sicignano, Luca
%A King, Stephen
%A Guido, Stefano
%A Jones, Christopher
%A Paduano, Luigi
%A Murgia, Sergio
%A D'Errico, Gerardino
%T Branched alkyldimethylamine oxide surfactants: An effective strategy for the design of high concentration/low viscosity surfactant formulations
%J Journal of colloid and interface science
%V 552
%@ 0021-9797
%C Amsterdam [u.a.]
%I Elsevier
%M FZJ-2019-03398
%P 448 - 463
%D 2019
%X HypothesisThe rational design of branched-tail surfactants is a suitable strategy to obtain low-viscosity surfactant-rich isotropic aqueous mixtures with negligible effects on biodegradability. This opens a way to the design of concentrated (“water-free”) surfactant formulations, highly attractive for their ecological and economic benefits.ExperimentsThe aggregation behaviour of N,N-dimethyl-2-propylheptan-1-amine oxide (C10DAO-branched) in aqueous mixtures is investigated across the entire composition range by polarized optical microscopy, small angle X-ray and neutron scattering, electron paramagnetic resonance, and pulse-gradient stimulated echo nuclear magnetic resonance. The humidity scanning quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring technique is validated as a tool for the fast screening of surfactants phase behaviour. Furthermore, the shear viscosities and viscoelastic moduli of the systems are determined by rheological measurements.FindingsWith respect to the linear isomer, C10DAO-branched presents a much lower tendency to form lyotropic liquid crystalline phases. Except for a narrow composition and temperature range in which a lamellar structure is observed, C10DAO-branched aqueous mixtures are isotropic liquids whose microstructure changes, with increasing concentration, from micellar solutions to unstructured dispersions of hydrated surfactant molecules. Low-viscosity was found for all these mixtures, including the most concentrated ones. Thus, the introduction of a single short side-chain in the tail is demonstrated to be an effective approach to increase the active concentration in surfactant formulations.
%F PUB:(DE-HGF)16
%9 Journal Article
%$ pmid:31151022
%U <Go to ISI:>//WOS:000481566500047
%R 10.1016/j.jcis.2019.05.052
%U https://juser.fz-juelich.de/record/863318