Surface adsorption and micelle formation of aqueous solutions of polyethyleneglycol and sugar surfactants

The surface tension of aqueous solutions of tetraethyleneglycol octyl ether (C8E4) and octyl-β-d-maltopyranoside (OM) mixture was measured as a function of the total molality of surfactants and the composition of OM under atmospheric pressure at 298.15 K by drop volume technique. The results of surface tension measurements were analyzed by originally developed thermodynamic equations, then phase diagrams of adsorption and micelle formation were constructed. From the analysis of the surface tension data, it was found that the C8E4 and OM molecules interact attractively in the adsorbed film and the excess Gibbs energy of adsorption can be compared with those observed in typical cationic–nonionic surfactant systems; nevertheless, they are mixed almost ideally in the mixed micelle. Judging from a negative excess surface area calculated by differentiating the excess Gibbs energy by the surface tension, we concluded that the attraction between C8E4 and OM molecules is a short-range one originated in the hydrogen bonding between them which favors the planar configuration.