Investigation of Novel Triple-Responsive Wormlike Micelles

Abstract

Smart wormlike micelles with stimuli-tunable rheological properties may be useful in a variety of applications, such as in molecular devices and sensors. The formation of triplestimuli-responsive systems so far has been a challenging and important issue. In this work, a novel triplestimuli (photo-, pH-, and thermoresponsive) wormlike micelle is constructed with N-cetyl-N-methylmorpholinium bromide and trans-cinnamic acid (CA). The corresponding multiresponsive behaviors of wormlike micellar system were revealed using cryogenic transmission electron microscopy, a rheometer, and H NMR. The rheological properties of wormlike micellar system under different temperatures, pH conditions, and UV irradiation times are measured. As confirmed byH NMR, chemical structure of a CA molecule can be altered by the multiple stimulation from an exotic environment. We expect it to be a good model for triple-responsive wormlike micelles, which is helpful to understand the mechanism of triple-responsiveness and widen their applications.

Effect of Silica Nanoparticles on Wormlike Micelles with Different Entanglement Degrees

“… can be determined by Eq. and is the intersectional modulus when the storage modulus is equal to the loss modulus (Zhao et al, ). …”

“…Surfactants are special molecules with hydrophilic headgroups and hydrophobic tails, which self-assemble in solution (Calabrese and Wagner, 2018;Danov et al, 2018;Kelleppan et al, 2018;Wu et al, 2017;Zhao et al, 2013Zhao et al, , 2017a. Depending on concentration and ionic strength, surfactants can self-assemble to form various aggregates with different morphologies, such as spherical micelles, rodlike micelles, wormlike micelles, vesicles, and lamellar crystals (Chu et al, 2013;Patel et al, 2015;Sharma et al, 2007;Shrestha et al, 2015;Dai et al, 2015;Kang et al, 2017).…”

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“…This unusual increase in viscosity with temperature was previously reported for PEGbased, non-ionic, polymeric surfactants. Surfactants such as polyethylene phytosteryl ether, polyoxyethylenecholestryl ether, and perfluoroalkyl suphonamide ethoxylate were able to form wormlike micelles with thermo-viscosifying behavior [32][33][34][35] . SP showed a transition state at a temperature range of 35-45 ºC, near its reported lower critical solution temperature (40 ºC).…”

A gemini surfactant-containing system with abundant self-assembly morphology and rheological behaviors tunable by photoinduction

“…Consequently, another simple and feasible way to construct a lightresponsive self-assembly is developed that involves the addition of light-sensitive molecules to surfactant solutions directly. [37][38][39][40] During the past few decades, signicant efforts have been devoted to studying the photoresponsive behavior of a mixed system containing surfactants and light-sensitive molecules. Huang et al established photo-modulated multistate molecular self-assemblies by utilizing cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) mixed with sodium (4-(phenylazo) phenoxy)-acetate (AzoNa).…”

“…44 Recently, Dai's group and Li's group also carried out a great deal of work and made signicant achievements in this area. 38,39,45,46 The properties of both the light-sensitive molecules and surfactants in the mixed system play essential roles in determining the photoresponsive behaviour of the system. The length and the structure of surfactant alkyl chains, head groups, as well as charges carried by the surfactant head groups affect the photoresponsive behavior of the mixed system directly.…”