Surfactant partition and water solubilization in reversed micellar systems

A reversed micellar phase was studied using infrared spectroscopy and surface tension analysis. The effect of the organic phase composition and the type and concentration of salt were investigated. Two parameters were measured, the surfactant partition between the organic and aqueous phases and the amount of water solubilized. The organic phase consisted of a mixture of hexane and hexadecane containing dissolved Aerosol OT. The aqueous phase contained a postassium salt in a buffer solution.The Aerosol OT partitioned essentially completely to the organic phase under conditions of high salt concentration or high hexane concentration. As the hexane:hexadecane ratio increased, the amount of water solubilized decreased. For all salts, except those of lanthanum, the water solubilized decreased considerably as the salt concentrations increased