Nonideal mixing of alkylammonium chloride and decyldimethylphosphine oxide surfactants in adsorbed films and micelles

Miscibility and interaction of decyldimethylphosphine oxide (DePO) with ammonium chloride (AC), hexylammonium chloride (HAC), and dodecylammonium chloride (DAC) in adsorbed films and micelles were studied by surface tension measurements. Phase diagrams were drawn for the mixed adsorption, mixed micelle formation, and equilibrium between adsorbed films and micelles. Nonideal mixing of DAC and DePO was characterized by a negative excess Gibbs free energy and positive excess area of adsorption and negative excess Gibbs free energy of micelle formation. It is concluded that the interaction between DAC and DePO in adsorbed films and micelles is larger than those between the same surfactants alone due to two factors: ion-dipole interactions between the head groups of DAC and DePO and alkyl-chain/alkyl-chain interactions.