Adiabatic compressibility of AOT [sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate] reverse micelles: Analysis of a simple model based an micellar size and volumetric measurements

The self-assembly of amphiphilic molecules into supramolecular aggregates involves a number of complex phenomena and forces. Recent developments of highly sensitive, densimetric and acoustic methods on small volume samples have provided novel sensitive probes to explore the physical properties of these complex fluids. We have investigated, by high precision densimetry and ultrasound velocimetry, reverse micelles of [sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate] in oil (isooctane and decane), at increasing water concentration and at variable micellar volume fractions. The size of these spherical micelles has been determined by small angle x-ray scattering. Using these results, in the framework of the effective medium theory, we have developed a simple model of micellar compressibility, allowing the calculation of physical parameters (aggregation number, volume, and compressibility) of the surfactant monomolecular film as well as that of the micellar waters. In particular, we shaw that the central aqueous core designated as free'' water, located at a distance from the oil-water interacting interface, is twice as compressible as bulk water. One notable feature of this work. is the influence of the nature of the oil on the above parameters.