Emergence of a lyotropic lamellar phase: surfactant-aqueous phase contact experiments examined with a cryo-transmission electron microscope
Year: 1995
Type: article
Abstract: A phase penetration experiment has been conducted, employing a cryo-transmission electron microscope (cryo-TEM). With this technique, the phase transitions and the molecular rearrangement that result from the phase penetration can be studied on almost the molecular level. The technique has been applied to the emergence of a lyotropic lamellar liquid-crystalline phase, when dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid (HDoBS) is brought into contact with water or with an aqueous sodium hydroxide solution. Both phases are nebulized onto the grid. As a result, fingerprint patterns are observed by cryo-TEM, that emerge when the aqueous phase penetrates into a thin layer of surfactant. The pattern consists of a two-dimensional lamellar alignment of the surfactant molecules. In thicker parts of the surfactant layer, the penetration results in smaller units of molecular alignment.
Source: Langmuir
DOI: 10.1021/la00009a046
Language: English
Subfield: Physical and Theoretical Chemistry
Field: Chemistry
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funder: Rijksuniversiteit Groningen
OpenAlex ID: W2017696264