A theoretical study on the stability of the classical phases of surfactant-water systems in the temperature-concentration phase diagram

Abstract

In the present study, we have used a mean field theory that is also a modified Ginzburg-Landau expansion in the order parameter. Single mode expansion of the order parameter were taken and written in terms of the reciprocal lattice vectors corresponding to the first reflection of the classical phases in such a way that the corresponding contour plot exhibits the required features of the respective phases. ’Wolfram Mathematica 8.0’ software was used for calculations and the free energy optimizations. The present theory stabilizes the classical phases in the concentration – temperature phase diagram. And percentage of the stabilized area for the lamellar, hexagonal, and BCC phases, are found to be 35.41%, 42.98%, and 21.61%, respectively.

Keywords:

• BCC phase
• classical phases
• disorder phase
• hexagonal phase
• lamellar phase
• surfactant

Acknowledgments

S. P. Gupta acknowledges the technical support received from Patna University. S. P. Gupta is thankful to Prof. V. A. Raghunathan, Raman Research Institute, Bangalore for his academic support and encouragement.

Data availability statement

The data that supports the findings of this study are available within the article. Moreover, the raw data are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Disclosure statement

This article does not have a potential conflict of interest.