Analysis of Adsorbed Layers of Benzyldimethyldodecylammonium Bromide on Silica Particles in Water Using the Sorbent Mass Variation Method

A "sorbent mass variation" (SMV) method has been suggested to investigate the adsorption at solid-liquid interfaces, which can provide information on the adsorbed layer structure including its thickness and composition. However, there has been little research focused on the method, and therefore, it is essential to examine its general applicability. Herein, the adsorption of benzyldimethyldodecylammonium bromide (BDDABr), a cationic surfactant, on silica (SiO2) nanoparticles (with ∼12 and 24 nm in size, denoted as S-SiO2 and L-SiO2, respectively) in water was investigated using the SMV method. The adsorption isotherms all show a linearly declining tendency in the saturated adsorption regime, consistent with the prediction of the SMV model. The adsorption is interpreted to form noncomplete bilayers (or isolated admicelles). The thicknesses of the adsorbed bilayers on S-SiO2 and L-SiO2 are estimated to be ∼2.9 and 2.7 nm, respectively, and the volume fractions of BDDABr in the saturated adsorbed layers are 0.63 and 0.68, respectively. In addition, the change in the Gibbs free energy of the adsorption process is also analyzed, showing its spontaneous nature. This work demonstrates that the SMV method is available for investigation on the adsorption of surfactants at solid-liquid interfaces, which can provide information on the structure and formation thermodynamics of adsorbed layers.