Structure and Potential Application of Surfactant-Free Microemulsion Consisting of Heptanol, Ethanol and Water

Microemulsions, which are thermodynamically stable and isotropic mixtures of water, oil, and surfactants, attract significant research interest due to their unique physicochemical properties and diverse industrial applications. Traditional surfactant-based microemulsions (SBMEs) stabilize the interf...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Colloids and interfaces 2024-10, Vol.8 (5), p.53
Main Authors: Gudelj, Ma, Kranjac, Marina, Jurko, Lucija, Tomšič, Matija, Cerar, Janez, Prkić, Ante, Bošković, Perica
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acetaldehyde
Alcohol
Alcohol, Denatured
Droplets
Electric properties
Electrical conductivity
Electrical resistivity
Environmental restoration
Ethanol
Fourier transforms
Industrial applications
Infrared analysis
Microemulsions
Microstructure
Morphology
Nanoparticles
Oil sands
Photon correlation spectroscopy
Ratios
Software
Spectrum analysis
Surface active agents
Surface tension
surfactant-free microemulsions
Surfactants
ternary system
Ternary systems
Water
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Summary:Microemulsions, which are thermodynamically stable and isotropic mixtures of water, oil, and surfactants, attract significant research interest due to their unique physicochemical properties and diverse industrial applications. Traditional surfactant-based microemulsions (SBMEs) stabilize the interface between two typically immiscible liquids, forming various microstructures such as oil-in-water (O/W) droplets, water-in-oil (W/O) droplets, and bicontinuous phases. However, the use of surfactants poses environmental concerns, cost implications, and potential toxicity. Consequently, there is increasing interest in developing surfactant-free microemulsions (SFMEs) that offer similar benefits without the drawbacks associated with surfactants. In this study, we explore the formation and characteristics of a new surfactant-free microemulsion in a ternary system comprising water, ethanol, and heptanol. Advanced techniques are employed to characterize the microstructures and stability of surfactant-free microemulsions. These include electrical conductivity measurements, surface tension analysis, dynamic light scattering (DLS), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). These methods have been extensively used in previous research on surfactant-free microemulsions (SFMEs) to reveal the properties and interactions within microemulsion systems. The area of interest is identified using these techniques, where silica nanoparticles are subsequently synthesized and then visualized using transmission electron microscopy (TEM).
ISSN:2504-5377
2504-5377
DOI:10.3390/colloids8050053