Water Diffusion and Phase Transition Investigation in Lyotropic Mesophases. A NMR Study

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Abstract
Measurements of water diffusion in non-aligned lyotropic mesophases have been made using the pulsed field gradient NMR technique (PFG-NMR). The investigated systems were mixtures of potassium palmitate and water (KP/H2O). Deuterium nuclear magnetic resonance spectral profiles (D-NMR) were also analyzed on perdeuterated potassium palmitate. Experimental data were taken in the Hα mesophase, the Lβ mesophase and in the intermediate region of the phase diagram between the Lα and Hα mesophases. The results are discussed in terms of the mixture composition and of the amphiphilic aggregate structures. The behavior of the water diffusion at the phase transition ocurring between the Lβ and Hα mesophases suggests a new insight on the evolution of this transition across the two phase regions. Furthermore the lyotropic mesophase ocurring in the intermediate region has been identified.