Experimental Study of Surface and Solution Properties of Gemini -conventional Surfactant Mixtures on Solubilization of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon

Experimental data are presented on the enhanced solubilities of fluorene (FLR) resulting from solubilization in aqueous solutions of two conventional surfactants: cationic cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) , anionic sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), nonioinic polyethylene glycol dodecyl ether (Brij35) and a cationic gemini bis (hexadecyldimethylammonium) pentane dibromide (G5). The critical micellar concentration of surfactants was determined by surface tension measurements and aqueous solubilities of fluorene compound in surfactant solutions were measured spectrophotometrically. Solubilization of PAH compound commenced at the surfactant critical micelle concentration and was proportional to the concentration of surfactant in micelle. The results of the mixed systems were analyzed with the help of regular solution theory, in which the deviation of CMCexp values for mixed surfactant systems from CMCideal was measured by evaluating the interaction parameter, β. Negative values of β were observed in all equimolar binary systems which show synergism in the mixed micelle. Attraction force between two oppositely charged head groups lead the strongest synergism effect between cationic gemini and anionic conventional surfactant. In addition to molar solubilization ratio (MSR) solubilization efficiency is also quantified in terms of micelle-water partition coefficient (Km).