Study of mixed micelles and interaction parameters for ABA triblock copolymers of the type EOm-POn-EOm and ionic surfactants: Equilibrium and structure

We applied isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and surface tension (ST) and electromotive force (emf) measurements using a coated wire sodium dodecyl sulfate membrane-selective electrode to measure the mixed micellar composition of various mixtures of the triblock copolymer EO97PO69EO97, a nonionic surfactant code-named Pluronic F127, with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). In the region where mixed micelles are formed, the interaction between the two surfactants showed synergistic behavior and interaction parameters β, which characterize the nonideal interaction in the mixed micelles, could be calculated over a range of mole ratios. For several compositions, the critical micelle concentrations of the mixed micelles were determined using ITC and ST measurements. In addition, small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) experiments were carried out in order to investigate the structure and provide additional information about the composition of the mixed micelles, taking advantage of contrast variation between SDS-h12 and SDS-d12. Mixed F127/SDS aggregates could be confirmed, and from an examination of the results of all methods and the mixed F127/SDS system can be explained in considerable detail