Interaction of Polymer and Surfactant at the Air-Water Interface: Poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) and Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate

Mauro Moglianetti, Peixun Li, Fred L. G. Malet, Steven P. Armes, Robert K. Thomas, Simon Titmuss

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The interactions between the weak polyelectrolyte. poly(2-(dimethylamino) ethyl methacrylate) or PDMAEMA, and the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) at the air-water interface have been investigated at pH = 3 and 9 using a combination of neutron reflectivity and surface tension measurements. By using deuterated PDMAEMA in combination with h-SDS and d-SDS, we have been able to directly determine the distribution of both the polymer and the surfactant at the air-water interface. At pH = 3, the polyelectrolyte is positively charged while at pH = 9 it is essentially uncharged. The enhancement in the adsorption of SDS at low coverage suggests that surface active polymer surfactant complexes are forming and adsorbing at the interface. This leads to close to monolayer adsorption of SIDS, suggsting that it is surfactant monomers that are complexing with polymers that are in extended conformations parallel to the surface. As the concentration of SDS in the mixtures changes so does the surfactant content of the complexes, which affects the surface activity and hence the coverage of the complexes. Multilayer structures are formed tit SDS concentrations of 0.1 and 1 mM. for pH = 3 and 9, respectively.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)12892-12898
Number of pages7
JournalLangmuir
Volume24
Issue number22
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 18 Nov 2008

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

  • CHARGED POLYELECTROLYTE/SURFACTANT MIXTURES
  • X-RAY REFLECTIVITY
  • NEUTRON REFLECTION
  • AIR/WATER INTERFACE
  • POLYMER/SURFACTANT COMPLEXES
  • POLY(STYRENE SULFONATE)
  • POLYETHYLENE OXIDE
  • ADSORPTION
  • TENSION
  • CHLORIDE)

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