Thermodynamics on the micellization of various pure and mixed surfactants: Effects of head- and tail-groups

• The values of critical micelle concentration of various pure and mixed surfactants are measured.
• Thermodynamic parameters’ values are calculated to analyze the effects of head- and tail-groups on the micellization.
• All the thermodynamic parameters’ values are decreasing with the increase of temperature.
• The thermodynamic parameters’ values are depending severely on the chain length of alkyl group.

The values of critical micelle concentration (CMC) for the micellization of various pure and mixed surfactants are determined by the UV–Vis spectrophotometric method. And the effects of temperature on the CMC values have been measured and thermodynamic parameters’ values are calculated to analyse the effects of head- and tail-groups on the micellization of surfactant molecules. The results show that the values of ΔGo are negative and those of ΔSo are positive for the micellization of all the surfactants within the measured temperature range. But the values of ΔHo are positive or negative, depending on the kinds of surfactants. All these thermodynamic parameters’ values are decreasing together with the increase of temperature for all the surfactants. And these thermodynamic parameters’ values are depending severely on the chain length of alkyl group also as much as on the head-groups of surfactant molecules.

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