Influence in the Surface Activity for Some Cationic Thiol Surfactants Using Their Nanostructures

Abstract

A series of some cationic thiol surfactants based on 2-mercapto pyridine were synthesized. These surfactants have decyl, dodecyl and cetyl hydrophobic moiety, respectively. The nanopowder forms of the synthesized surfactants were prepared using the ball mill technique and studied using transmission electron microscope (TEM). In addition, the nanostructure of these surfactants with the prepared colloidal silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) was investigated using ultraviolet (UV) spectrophotometer and TEM techniques. The surface activity of the synthesized surfactants and their nanostructures as nanopowder forms and with silver nanoparticles was investigated using surface tension, interfacial tension, and emulsion stability techniques. The surface and thermodynamic parameters such as critical micelle concentration (CMC), effectiveness (Π_cmc), minimum area (A_min), and free energies (ΔG_mic, ΔG_ads) were determined. The results show the influence in the surface activity of the nanostructures for the synthesized surfactants more than that of the individual surfactants.

Keywords:

• Cationic thiol surfactants
• nanopowders
• self-assembling
• silver nanoparticles
• surface activity