The surface behavior of a range of surfactant [Ru(bipy)(2)(p,p'-dialkyl-2,2'-bipy)]Cl(2) complexes, which we express as Ru(q)(p)C(n) where n is the alkyl chain length, p refers to the substitution position on the bipyridine ligand (=4 or 5), and q (=1 or 2) is the number of substituted alkyl chains, has been examined using neutron reflectometry. The adsorption of the single-chain Ru(1)(4)C(19) and Ru(1)(5)C(19) surfactants is strongly time-dependent, taking in excess of 10 h to form an equilibrium film. It is suggested that the slow adsorption rate is related to the alkyl chain length rather than the low monomer concentration present in the solutions. At concentrations below the critical micelle concentration (cmc) of Ru(1)(4)C(19), the film of Ru(1)(5)C(19) is denser than that of Ru(1)(4)C(19) at comparable concentration, consistent with the mass densities of the bulk solids, whereas at concentrations close to and greater than this cmc the converse pertains. Close to the cmc, the adsorbed films possess an average area per molecule significantly less than the nominal headgroup area of the surfactants (approximately 30 angstroms(2) compared with approximately 100 angstroms(2)). This fact together with consideration of the thickness and density of the adsorbed films leads to the conjecture that surface aggregates may be the adsorbing units. The adsorption of the double-chain surfactant Ru(1)(p)C(19), in contrast to the behavior of the Ru(1)(p)C(19) surfactants, is weak and independent of time. This behavior is attributed to the alkyl chain orientation. The adsorption behavior of a racemic mixture of the Delta and Lambda isomers of Ru(2)(4)C(19) has been compared with that of the Delta isomer. It is found that the film of racemic material is more closely packed than that of the resolved complex.

The structure of aggregates formed by eight surfactant [Ru(bipy)2(p,p'-dialkyl-2,2'-bipy)]Cl2 complexes-which we express as Ru(p)(q)Cn, where n (=12 or 19) is the alkyl chain length, p (=4 or 5) refers to the substitution position on the bipyridine ligand, and q (=1 or 2) is the number of substituted alkyl chains-in aqueous solutions has been examined using small-angle neutron scattering for a range of concentrations close to the critical micelle concentration and for several combinations of n, p, and q. A number of general results emerge. The double-chain surfactants possess a smaller headgroup charge but a larger aggregate size than their single-chain analogues. Over the concentration range studied, the micelles of the single-chain surfactants grow as the concentration is increased, whereas for the double-chain systems, the aggregate size remains unchanged. For both single- and double-chain surfactants, an increase in alkyl chain length is accompanied by an expected increase in aggregate size and an increase in average headgroup charge. The aggregates formed in solutions of resolved double-chain complexes are larger than those found in solutions of racemic mixtures. The Ru(4)(1)C12 and Ru(5)(1)C12 systems form aggregates with high water content. Variation of the substitution position for the single-chain surfactants produces dramatic changes in the structure of the micelles. The aggregates formed in solutions of Ru(4)(1)C19 and Ru(5)(1)C19 display particularly different structures. The Ru(4)(1)C19 system forms essentially spherical aggregates. In contrast, in the Ru(5)(1)C19 system, wormlike aggregates are formed in which the rigid rodlike sections appear to undergo a transition from a noninterdigitated to an interdigitated structure as the concentration is increased. For double-chain surfactants, the aggregation number for p = 4 surfactants is considerably larger than that for p = 5 surfactants.

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