Stretching and collapse of neutral polymer layers under association with ionic surfactants

Phys Rev Lett. 2002 Dec 23;89(26):268301. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.89.268301. Epub 2002 Dec 10.

Abstract

We provide experimental evidence for stretching and collapse of neutral polymer layers, already adsorbed at an oil-in-water interface, due to its interaction with surfactants. Upon stretching, the first interaction length (2L(0)) follows a power law dependence on surfactant concentration ( proportional, variant C(x)(s), where x approximately 0.5 for cationic surfactants) and collapses in the presence of salt, as a relatively weak power law (C(-y)(s), where y=0.17), in good agreement with brush length decay for polyelectrolyte brushes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Colloids / chemistry
  • Elasticity
  • Ions / chemistry
  • Polyvinyl Alcohol / chemistry*
  • Polyvinyls / chemistry*
  • Surface-Active Agents / chemistry*
  • Thermodynamics

Substances

  • Colloids
  • Ions
  • Polyvinyls
  • Surface-Active Agents
  • polyvinyl acetate
  • Polyvinyl Alcohol