Effects of Spacer Chain Length of Amino Acid-Based Gemini Surfactants on Wormlike Micelle Formation

We studied the effects of the spacer chain length of amino acid-based gemini surfactants on the formation of wormlike micelles in aqueous solutions. The surfactants used were synthesized by reacting dodecanoylglutamic acid anhydride with diamine compounds (ethylenediamine, pentanediamine, and octanediamine), and were abbreviated as 12-GsG-12 (s: the spacer chain length of 2, 5, and 8 methylene units). These surfactants yielded viscoelastic wormlike micellar solutions at pH 9 upon mixing with a cationic monomeric surfactant, hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (HTAB). We found that the rheological behavior was strongly dependent on the spacer chain length and HTAB concentration. When the shortest spacer chain analogue (12-G2G-12) was used, an increased HTAB concentration resulted in the following structural transformations of the micelles: (i) spherical or rodlike micelles; (ii) anionic wormlike micelles exhibiting a transient network structure; (iii) anionic wormlike micelles with a micellar branching or interconnected structure; and (iv) cationic wormlike micelles. Similarly, when the middle spacer chain analogue (12-G5G-12) was used, a structural transformation from anionic to cationic wormlike micelles occurs; however, molecular aggregates with a lower positive curvature were also formed in this transition region. When the longest spacer analogue (12-G8G-12) was used, the formation of cation-rich molecular aggregates was not observed. These transition behaviors were attributed to the packing geometry of the gemini surfactants with HTAB. Additionally, as the spacer chain length increased, the zero-shear viscosity in the anionic wormlike micellar region decreased, suggesting limited one-dimensional micellar growth of spherical, rodlike, or anionic wormlike micelles.