Interfacial composition and formation of w/o microemulsion with different amphiphiles and oils

Microemulsions were produced by mixing different combinations of the non-ionic surfactants Triton X-100 and Triton X-405, n-alkanes (C6, C7, C8 and C10) and benzene as oils, n-alcohols (C5 and C7) as cosurfactants with water. The influence of chainlength of the alkanes and alcohols on water solubilization behavior of these systems has been investigated. The solubilization of water in a particular microemulsion is governed by the partitioning of alcohols among oil, water and interfacial phases, depending on the chainlength and nature of oil and alcohol, and their interaction with the surfactant. The molar ratio of alcohol to surfactant at the droplet interface increased with the length of the oil chain. The free energy changes accompanying cosurfactant adsorption at the interface have also been computed.