Theory of Micelle Formation Kinetics

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
A survey is given of a kinetic theory for micelle formation and disintegration at small deviations from equilibrium guided by a concept of a diffusionlike flow along an aggregation number axis. Two well separated relaxation times for the monomer concentration are predicted, the short one pertaining to the rearrangement of the micellar distribution at a constant number of micelles and the long one pertaining to the change in the number of micelles with a concomitant shift in the position of the mean aggregation number of the micelles. – A “reverse” case is shown to give a relaxation time distribution at complete variance with experimental results, general conditions are given for the occurrence of only one relaxation time in the rearrangement process, and the movements of the micellar distribution at moderate and large dilutions are described. – Finally a theoretical calculation of the disintegration rate constants is presented, its extension to the dynamics of partial exits of the amphiphilic molecules is sketched, and its inferences for monolayer and bilayer structures are pointed out.

This publication has 15 references indexed in Scilit: