Adsorption of oppositely charged polyelectrolyte/surfactant mixtures. Neutron reflection from alkyl trimethylammonium bromides and sodium poly(styrenesulfonate) at the air/water interface: The effect of surfactant chain length

The interactions between a series of cationic surfactants (alkyltrimethylammonium bromides)(C nTAB) and the anionic polymer sodium poly(styrenesulfonate)(NaPSS) were studied using surface tension and neutron reflectivity. The effect of surfactant chain length on surfactant/polymer adsorption was also studied using chain lengths from 10 to 16 carbon atoms. The surface tension and neutron reflection results were explained in terms of a model in which there were three kinds of polymer/surfactant complex