Langmuir, Vol.16, No.26, 9991-9995, 2000
Solubilization of oily compounds into fluorocarbon-hydrocarbon hybrid surfactant admicelles formed on alumina surfaces
Sodium 1-oxo-1-[(4-fluoroalkyl)phenyl]-2-alkanesulfonates (FCm-HCn), fluorocarbon-hydrocarbon hybrid surfactants, exhibit a peculiar adsorption behavior on solid surfaces. This report dealt with an investigation on the solubilization of oily compounds into admicelles of the hybrid surfactant; Comparison was also made between the solubilization behavior of the hybrid surfactant and that of sodium 1-(4-alkylphenyl)-1-oxo-2-alkanesulfonates (HCm-HCn), double chain-type surfactants, in which the fluorocarbon chain in the hybrid surfactant is replaced by a hydrocarbon chain. As a result, FCm-HCn admicelles were found to solubilize fluorocarbons such as fluorobenzene and perfluorobenzene as well as hydrocarbon (2-naphthol). The amount adsolubilized for these oily compounds increased in the order 2-naphthol < fluorobenzene < perfluorobenzene, showing a high ability of the hybrid surfactant to solubilize oily compounds containing fluorine. On the other hand, HCm-HCn could solubilize fluorocarbons in only very small amounts. Moreover, the hybrid surfactant was found capable of adsolubilizing both hydrocarbon and fluorocarbon simultaneously because both 2-naphthol and perfluorobenzene were solubilized into admicelles of the hybrid surfactant from: a mixture of these oily compounds.