On the Presumed Specific Interaction of Anionic Surfactants with Nonionic Polymers. Aqueous Solution of Sodium Alkylsulfonate in the Presence of Poly(vinylpyrrolidone):  An “Excluded Volume” Effect

Abstract

Surface tension, viscosity, intradiffusion, and interdiffusion measurements have been performed on aqueous solutions of sodium octyl sulfonate, sodium decyl sulfonate, and sodium undecyl sulfonate, in the presence of poly(vinylpyrrolidone) at 1% w/w. The experimental measurements for each ternary system were performed in a range of surfactant concentration including the binary critical micelle concentration of the surfactant. The overall picture of the properties studied suggests the absence of a specific interaction between poly(vinylpyrrolidone) and alkylsulfonate surfactants. The experimental diffusion coefficients can be interpreted in terms of an “excluded volume” effect produced by the presence of the polymer in solution.