Formation Process of Bilayer Gel Structure in a Nonionic Surfactant Solution

We investigated the structure and formation process of lamellar domains below the Krafft temperature in two nonionic surfactants, the C(16)E(7)/water and C(16)E(6)/water systems, using an optical microscope and small-angle X-ray scattering. We found that vesicles and long leek-like lamellar domain structures are formed in the C(16)E(7) and C(16)E(6) systems, respectively. This large difference between the lamellar domain structures of the systems can be explained by the elastic properties of bilayers in the structural formation process.