Interfacial and bulk behavior of sodium dodecyl sulfate in isopropanol-water and in isopropanol-poly(vinylpyrrolidone)-water media

The surface activity of isopropanol (IP) and poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) at the air/water interface has been studied. The self-aggregation of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) in IP-water as well as in IP-PVP-water media has been investigated using physical methods, viz., tensiometry, conductometry, calorimetry, and viscometry. The interaction of SDS with PVP in IP-water medium as well as its self-aggregation (or micellization) in the presence of PVP has been assessed. The results reveal a fair degree of surface activity of IP in aqueous medium, which is only moderate for PVP. The critical micellar concentration (CMC) of SDS passes through a minimum at (v/v) % IP = 6.62. SDS interacts with PVP, yielding a critical aggregation concentration (CAC) at a low [SDS], independent of IP content in the medium. At a higher [SDS], free micelle formation takes place in solution, which is lower in mixed solvent than in water and is independent of solvent composition by tensiometry, but not by conductometry and calorimetry. The viscosity of micelle-interacted PVP in solution takes a long time to stabilize, whereas, for non-interacting additives, such as NaCl and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), it is time independent.