Effect of structural variations of non-ionic surfactants on micellar properties and solubilization: surfactants with semi-polar hydrophobes

Novel non-ionic surfactants have been synthesized in which a polar group (either an ether or a keto group) has been introduced into the hydrocarbon chain of an octadecylpolyoxyethylene glycol monoether (C18En) with an oxyethylene chain length, n, of 17-18 units. Light scattering studies have indicated aggregation numbers for these semi-polar surfactants in aqueous solution of between 55-65% of that of an unsubstituted octadecylpolyoxyethylene glycol monoether, C18E22. The solubilizing capacities of the semi-polar surfactant micelles for test compounds which were mainly solubilized at the polyoxyethylene/core interface were lower than those of C18E22 whilst solubilizates which exhibited a reasonable degree of solubility in both the interface and the micellar core showed an increased solubilization.