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Surfactant Adsorption: A Revised Physical Chemistry Lab

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Marc R. Bresler and John P. Hagen

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407

J. Chem. Educ., 2008, 85 (2), p 269

DOI: 10.1021/ed085p269

Publication Date (Web): February 1, 2008

Section:

History, Education, and Documentation

Abstract

Many physical chemistry lab courses include an experiment in which students measure surface tension as a function of surfactant concentration. In the traditional experiment, the data are fit to the Gibbs isotherm to determine the molar area for the surfactant, and the critical micelle concentration is used to calculate the Gibbs energy of micelle formation. In the experiment described here, students fit their data to the Szyszkowski equation, allowing them to also calculate the Gibbs energy of surface adsorption. In addition, we use this experiment to introduce nonlinear custom curve fitting.

Keywords (Audience):

Upper-Division Undergraduate

Keywords (Domain):

Laboratory Instruction

Keywords (Pedagogy):

Hands-On Learning / Manipulatives

Keywords (Subject):

Colloids

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Citing Articles

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This article has been cited by 1 ACS Journal articles (1 most recent appear below).

Surfactant Adsorption Parameters from Surface Tension Measurements
Mário N. Berberan-Santos
Journal of Chemical Education2009 86 (4), 433
- Surfactant Adsorption Parameters from Surface Tension Measurements
  Mário N. Berberan-Santos
  Journal of Chemical Education2009 86 (4), 433
  Commentary on an article involving the determination of the critical micelle concentration and molecular cross-sectional area and equilibrium constant for adsorption of a surfactant molecule at the air–water interface from surface tension measurements.
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