Page 100 - Introduction to Colloid and Surface Chemistry

90 Liquid-gas and liquid-liquid interfaces

phase. The strong electrostatic interactions which are likely at this
location may influence the nature of the transition state and/or
reactant concentration; for example, cationic micelles may catalyse
reaction between a nucleophilic anion and a neutral solubilised
substrate.

Surface behaviour
Figure 4.13 illustrates how a highly surface-active material such as
sodium dodecyl sulphate lowers the surface tension of water quite
appreciably even at low concentrations. The discontinuity in the
y-composition curve is identified with the c.m.c., beyond which there
is an additional mechanism for keeping hydrocarbon chains away
from water surfaces - i.e. by locating them in the interior of the
micelles. Since the micelles themselves are not surface-active, the
surface tension remains approximately constant beyond the c.m.c.
The minimum in the y-composition curve, shown by the dashed
curve, is typical of measurements which have been made on
surfactant solutions and in apparent violation of the Gibbs equation,
since it suggests desorption over the small concentration range where
dy/dc is positive. This anomaly is attributed to traces of impurity such
as dodecanol, which is surface-adsorbed below the c.m.c. but
solubilised by the micelles beyond the c.m.c. With sufficient
purification the minimum in the y-composition curve can be
removed. Beyond the c.m.c., where dy/dc — 0, application of
the Gibbs equation might suggest almost zero adsorption; however,
dy/da, where a represents the activity of single surfactant species, is
still appreciably negative, a changing little above the c.m.c.

Conductance

Micelle formation affects the conductance of ionic surfactant
solutions for the following reasons:

1. The total viscous drag on the surfactant molecules is reduced on
aggregation.
2. Counter-ions become kinetically a part of the micelle, owing to its
high surface charge (see Chapter 7), thus reducing the number of
counter-ions available for carrying the current and also lowering
the net charge of the micelles. Typically, 50 to 70% of the counter-