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V. S. Kuznetsov¹, N. V. Usol'tseva¹, V. P. Zherdev², L. N. Zhukova¹, N. V. Zharnikova¹, A. I. Smirnova¹

Author affiliations
¹Ivanovo State University, Nanomaterials Research Institute,
39 Ermak St., Ivanovo, 153025, Russia
E-mail: nv_usoltseva@mail.ru
²Ivanovo State Polytechnic University,
8 March St., 20, Ivanovo, 153037, Russia

Abstract
For spherical micelles in solutions of nonionic surface-active substances, a semiempirical method for calculating interfacial tension is proposed. The method is based on the comparison of the change in the size of micelle nuclei to a transition from one homologue to another, the use of the experimental isotherms of the surface tension of solutions and the corresponding Laplace equation. Dimensions of micelles nuclei, interphase layer and other structural parameters are calculated based on the concept of hydrophilic-lipophilic balance. The method is applied to micelles of two homologous series of ethoxylated polyethers – alkyl ethers of tetraethylene glycol C₆E_mH and hexyl esters of polyethylene glycol C₆E_mH. It is shown that the studied homologous series C_mE₄H and C₆E_mH are differently arranged with respect to the sizes of the micelles nuclei, critical micellar concentrations, aggregation numbers and interfacial tension. The dimensional dependences of the last in homological series have an asymptotic character.

Keywords: semiempirical method, spherical micelles, ethoxylated polyethers, interfacial tension, Laplace equation, hydrophilic-lipophilic balance, numbers of aggregation