Surfactant/polymer combinations are well known to be important in emulsification, industrial, environmental, and biomedical applications. It has long been known that combinations of polyelectrolytes and charged surfactants exhibit tunable synergy and increased interfacial behavior. What remains unknown is the molecular detail that leads to this synergy at the interface.  The studies to be presented examine the interfacial molecular properties involved in the co-adsorption of the ubiquitous surfactant cetrimonium bromide (CTAB) with the model polymer poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) at an oil/water interface. Vibrational sum frequency spectroscopy is used to measure the vibrational features of the surfactant and polymer at the interface, complemented with additional surface tension, zeta potential and dynamic light scattering studies.  The results show charge-screening between CTAB and PAA causes interfacial layering and surface coverage. Slow reorientation eventually leads to a highly ordered structure over long timescales.

Exploring the interfacial synergy between polymers and surfactants

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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