Ellipsometric Observation of the Adsorption of Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate

Gregory J. Besio, Robert Krafft Prud'homme, Jay Burton Benziger

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

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Abstract

In this paper we report the observation of the formation of surface micelles, or hemimicelles, using ellipsometry. SDS is adsorbed onto a platinum electrode from solutions with concentrations below the critical micelle concentration (cmc). Formation of the surface micelles is initiated by applying a potential at the electrode, inducing local concentrations above the critical hemimicelle concentration (chmc) near the electrode surface. The thickness of the adsorbed layer, as measured by ellipsometry, based on a film refractive index of 1.44, at low potentials is 10–15 Å, which corresponds to the extended dimension of the SDS molecule. At higher potentials, transitions to films 2–3 times the initial film thickness are observed.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)140-144
Number of pages5
JournalLangmuir
Volume4
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1 1988

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General Materials Science
  • Condensed Matter Physics
  • Surfaces and Interfaces
  • Spectroscopy
  • Electrochemistry

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