The effect of poly (N,N-dimethylacrylamide) on the lamellar phase of Aerosol OT/water

The effect of a water-soluble uncharged polymer on the stability of the lamellar phase of the Aerosol OT (AOT)/water system is studied. The lamellar phase still exists when water is replaced by an aqueous solution of poly(N,N-dimethylacrylamide) (Rapproximate to4x10(2) Angstrom). Since the coil dimensions are (much) larger than the thickness of the water layers (d(w)approximate to51 Angstrom), the polymer molecules do not enter the lamellar phase. Instead segregation in small domains occurs, and in equilibrium with the AOT-rich phase another separate phase containing the polymer is formed. The polymer-rich phase exerts an osmotic pressure that reduces the water content in the AOT-rich phase, and by compression the repeat distance is reduced.