Electrostatic interactions inside the aqueous core of spherical reversed micelles (L2 phase)

F. Akoum , O. Parodi

We propose a model for describing electrostatic interactions in the aqueous core of a spherical reversed micelle. Some counterions are located at the surface of the aqueous core, the others are distributed inside the core following a Boltzmann law. The nonlinearized Poisson-Boltzmann equation is solved in spherical geometry; an asymptotic expansion of its solution is found near a logarithmic divergence. We give an evaluation of the enthalpy of association of a counterion to the surface of the aqueous core. Assuming that the area by polar head remains constant, we obtain the electrostatic energy of the micelle and we show that the electrostatic energy by monomer is a function of the aggregation number.

Keywords: colloids; electrostatics

Domains: Physics archives

F. Akoum, O. Parodi. Electrostatic interactions inside the aqueous core of spherical reversed micelles (L2 phase). Journal de Physique, 1985, 46 (10), pp.1675-1681. ⟨10.1051/jphys:0198500460100167500⟩. ⟨jpa-00210117⟩