ABSTRACT
We report how the control of a single parameter, the co-surfactant, determines the phase transitions of oil-in-water swollen liquid crystals (SLCs) prepared with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), from cubic to hexagonal, lamellar, and finally sponge-like structures. SLCs are complex mixtures (surfactant + co-surfactant + water + salt + oil) usually prepared to form hexagonal mesophases, with cell parameters tunable between 3 and 30 nm. These hexagonal mesophases were successfully used as nanoreactors to prepare a broad range of nanostructured materials. Because the potential of these mesophases as adaptive nanoreactors has not been extended to other liquid crystal geometries than the hexagonal, we studied in a first step the structure evolution of SLCs made with CTAB, cyclohexane, pentanol-1, water and different stabilising salts. We used small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), polarised light microscopy and Freeze-Fracture TEM to provide a partial phase diagram and list the different mesophases obtained as a function of composition. We report that the adjustment of a single parameter, the co-surfactant (pentanol-1), determines the phase transition between cubic, hexagonal, lamellar, and sponge-like structures, all other parameters such as the nature and concentration of salt, or amount of oil being constant.
GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
![](/cms/asset/c54e2752-6e27-481f-b539-13e09ad59d8d/tlct_a_1130866_uf0001_oc.jpg)
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
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