Published in

Elsevier, Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects

DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2016.02.007

Links

Tools

Export citation

Search in Google Scholar

Micellization Thermodynamics and the Nature of Enthalpy- Entropy Compensation

Journal article published in 2016 by Animesh Pan ORCID, Animesh K. Rakshit, Satya P. Moulik
This paper is available in a repository.
This paper is available in a repository.

Full text: Download

Green circle
Preprint: archiving allowed
Red circle
Postprint: archiving forbidden
Red circle
Published version: archiving forbidden
Data provided by SHERPA/RoMEO

Abstract

Surfactants self-assemble to form micelles guided by thermodynamic rules. The observed free energy, enthalpy and entropy changes are system specific. According to enthalpy − entropy compensation (EEC) phenomenon, for similar chemical systems (or processes) at a fixed temperature if the individual enthalpy and entropy changes (ΔH and ΔS, respectively) are plotted then a linear relation can be found in many occasions. The slope of the line provides a temperature which is different from the experimental temperature, and it is called the compensation temperature (Tcomp). There are several reasons proposed for the effect but none of them are still accepted, and the EEC remains to be an empirical, extra-thermodynamic and measurement error related phenomena. However, from classical thermodynamics a linear relation between enthalpy and entropy changes can be shown. This is generally true for many chemical processes including surfactant self-aggregation (micelle formation), etc. Of the three essential thermodynamic parameters (ΔG, ΔH and Δ S), ΔG is independently determined whereas ΔH is found from temperature dependence of ΔG (in terms of van’t Hoff equation), and ΔS then follows from the relation, ΔG = ΔH − T ΔS. Thus, the latter two parameters are indirectly obtained. This raises a question on the EEC phenomenon; mearurement uncertainties may also influence it. From isothermal titration calorimetry measurementsf both free energy and enthalpy of micellization can be determined from a single run, only the entropy of micellization is indirectly found from the above stated relation. The uncertainties of the measurements can thus be reduced. We shall discuss such results on the self-aggregation of different amphiphiles under different conditions to examine the nature of the EEC phenomenon. We have also found anti-EEC (AEEC) phenomenon of some micellar systems in support to such observations on non micelle forming processes. These findings and their characteristic features are presented and discussed. This is a comprehensive study on EEC not done in the past.