Charge number effect on the miscibility of inorganic salt and surfactant in adsorbed film and micelle: Inorganic salt–octyl methyl sulfoxide mixtures

Adsorption and micelle formation of a surfactant in the presence of inorganic salts with different charge numbers of cations were investigated from the viewpoint of mixed adsorption and micelle formation of salt and surfactant. Surface tension of aqueous solutions of the mixtures of octyl methyl sulfoxide (OMS) with calcium chloride and lanthanum chloride was measured as a function of the total molality of the mixture and the mole fraction of OMS in the mixture at 298.15 K under atmospheric pressure. Composition of the adsorbed film and micelle was numerically evaluated from the dependence of the total molality at a given surface tension and the mixture CMC on the bulk composition to draw phase diagrams of adsorption and micelle formation. Judging from the phase diagrams together with the ones of the sodium chloride system, miscibility of inorganic salt and OMS in the adsorbed film and micelle increases with an increase in the charge number of inorganic cation, which is attributable to the attractive interaction between inorganic cation and the polar head group of OMS molecule in the adsorbed film and micelle.

Graphical abstractAttractive interaction between inorganic cation and OMS in the adsorbed film and micelle increases with increasing charge number and decreasing hydration of the cation.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide