FTIR spectroscopic study of the acrylamide states in AOT reversed micelles

The state of acrylamide (AM) confined within the hydrophilic core of sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (AOT) reversed micelles has been investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy with an attenuated total reflection (ATR) accessory. 2D correlation spectroscopy and curve fitting revealed that the acrylamide molecule was carried into the micellar core by one of the two long tails of the AOT through H-bonding between the amide group and the carbonyl group of AOT. The acrylamide tended to stick at the interface of the inverse emulsion at lower acrylamide-to-AOT molar ratio value (X); when X increased to some higher values, the acrylamide would tend to congregate in the micellar core. Therefore, it is important to choose the suitable initiator for the inverse emulsion polymerization under different experimental conditions.