Counterion hydrophilicity

Figure 20 shows the plot of the surface tension vs. the logarithm of the concentration (or-lg c-isotherms) of sodium alkanesulfonates C,0-C15 at 45°C. In accordance with the general behavior of surfactants, the interfacial activity increases with growing chain length. The critical micelle concentration (cM) is shifted to lower concentration values. The typical surface tension at cM is between 38 and 33 mN/m. The ammonium alkanesulfonates show similar behavior, though their solubility is much better. The impact of the counterions is twofold First, a more polarizable counterion lowers the cM value (Fig. 21), while the aggregation number of the micelles rises. Second, polarizable and hydrophobic counterions, such as n-propyl- or isopropylammonium and n-butylammonium ions, enhance the interfacial activity as well (Fig. 22). Hydrophilic counterions such as 2-hydroxyethylammonium have the opposite effect. Table 14 summarizes some data for the dodecane 1-sulfonates.

Only recently, we have shown experimentally for a selection of neutral ionophores and carefully purified, typical PVC plasticizers that in absence of ionic sites Nernstian EMF responses could not be obtained [55]. For plasticizers of low polarity no EMF responses were observed at all. Transient responses due to salt extraction even with the highly hydrophilic counterion chloride were observed in the case of the more polar nitrobenzene. Lasting primary ion-dependent charge separation at the liquid liquid interfaces of ISEs, resulting in a stable EMF response, seemed therefore only possible in the presence of ionic sites confined to the membrane phase. Because membranes free of impurity sites... 

Taking into account that both the voltammetric maximum and the depression in drop time-potential curves were affected by the ion pair formation equilibrium of Na DPA in LM, it is concluded that Na which has been transferred from NB to W may be adsorbed at the interface from the side of W inducing the adsorption of DPA as a counterion from the NB side. At the interface, the adsorbed Na may exist as an ion pair, which is denoted as Na DPAj, hereafter. The possibility of the interfacial ion pair formation between a hydrophobic cation (or anion) in an organic phase and a hydrophilic anion (or cation) in an aqueous phase has been proposed by Girault and Schiffrin [32], and Kakiuchi et al. [33]. 

By swelling with aqueous electrolyte, cations (and, to lesser extent, also anions) penetrate together with water into the hydrophilic regions and form spherical electrolyte clusters with micellar morphology. The inner surface of clusters and channels is composed of a double layer of the immobilized —SO3 groups and the equivalent number of counterions, M+. Anions in the interior of the clusters are shielded from the —SOJ groups by hydrated cations and water molecules. On the other hand, anions are thus... 

Specific-ion electrodes are expensive, temperamental and seem to have a depressingly short life when exposed to aqueous surfactants. They are also not sensitive to some mechanistically interesting ions. Other methods do not have these shortcomings, but they too are not applicable to all ions. Most workers have followed the approach developed by Romsted who noted that counterions bind specifically to ionic micelles, and that qualitatively the binding parallels that to ion exchange resins (Romsted 1977, 1984). In considering the development of Romsted s ideas it will be useful to note that many micellar reactions involving hydrophilic ions are carried out in solutions which contain a mixture of anions for example, there will be the chemically inert counterion of the surfactant plus the added reactive ion. Competition between these ions for the micelle is of key importance and merits detailed consideration. In some cases the solution also contains buffers and the effect of buffer ions has to be considered (Quina et al., 1980). 

The situation is different for reactions of very hydrophilic ions, e.g. hydroxide and fluoride, because here overall rate constants increase with increasing concentration of the reactive anion even though the substrate is fully micellar bound (Bunton et al., 1979, 1980b, 1981a). The behavior is similar for equilibria involving OH" (Cipiciani et al., 1983a, 1985 Gan, 1985). In these systems the micellar surface does not appear to be saturated with counterions. The kinetic data can be treated on the assumption that the distribution between water and micelles of reactive anion, e.g. Y, follows a mass-action equation (9) (Bunton et al., 1981a). 

The question then becomes that of the significance of the ion-exchange and mass-law equations which successfully account for the dependence of micellar rate constants upon the concentrations of surfactant and reactive and inert counterions. It seems reasonable to continue to use these descriptions at the present time, despite uncertainties as to the location of hydrophilic counterions at the micellar surface. 

Calculations based on non-specific coulombic interactions between the micelle and its counterions gave reasonable values of a, which were insensitive to the concentration of added salt (Gunnarsson et al., 1980). Although these calculations do not explain the observed specificity of ion binding, they suggest that such hydrophilic ions as OH- and F- may not in fact enter the Stern layer, as is generally assumed. Instead they may cluster close to the micelle surface in the diffuse layer. 

While the ion pair combination 1 is found to be a successful example to afford artificial ion channels, it may not be difficult to find analogous solutions. Illustrated in Figure 7 is a small expanded scheme for constructing artificial supramolecular ion channels from synthetic amphiphilic pairs of hydrophilic and hydrophobic counterions (note that the combination 2a-2e corresponds to 1). All of these compounds gave stable single-channel currents when incorporated into a bilayer lipid membrane. 

Secondary Micelles. These micelles are formed only by dihydroxy bile salts in the presence of increased counterions. Secondary micelles are probably formed by the aggregation of primary micelles. Since the surface available for hydrophobic interaction is expended in the formation of the primary micelles, the bonding that takes place is probably between some of the hydrophilic parts of the bile salts. It is suggested (Figure 11c) that in the presence of increased counterion concentrations... 

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