The adsorbed layer morphology of a series of surfactants under different conditions has been examined primarily using atomic force microscopy (AFM). The morphologies of single and double chained quaternary ammonium surfactants adsorbed to mica have been characterised using AFM at concentrations below the cmc. Mixing these different types of surfactants systematically allowed a detailed examination of the change in adsorbed film curvature from the least curved bilayers through to most curved globules. From this study a novel mesh structure was discovered at curvatures intermediate to bilayers and rods. A mesh was again observed in studies examining the morphology change of adsorbed nonionic surfactant films on silica with variation in temperature. Other surfactant mixtures were also examined including grafting non-adsorbing nonionic surfactants and diblock copolymers into quaternary ammonium surfactant films of different morphologies.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/220698 |
| Date | January 2005 |
| Creators | Blom, Annabelle |
| Publisher | University of Sydney. Chemistry |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English, en_AU |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | Copyright Blom, Annabelle;http://www.library.usyd.edu.au/copyright.html |
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