Contrasting effect of 1-butanol and 1,4-butanediol on the triggered micellar self-assemblies of C-type cationic surfactants.

The self-assembly in aqueous solutions of three quaternary salt-based C-type cationic surfactants with different polar head groups and identical carbon alkyl chain , cetylpyridinium bromide (CPB), cetyltrimethylammonium tosylate (CTAT), and cetyltriphenylphosphonium bromide (CTPPB) in the presence of 1-butanol (BuOH) and 1,4-butanediol (BTD) was investigated using tensiometry, 2D-nuclear Overhauser enhancement spectroscopy (2D-NOESY) and small angle neutron scattering (SANS) techniques. The adsorption parameters and micellar characteristics evaluated at 303.15 K distinctly showed that BuOH promotes the mixed micelle formation while BTD interfered with the micellization phenomenon.