molecules Article Double-Chain Cationic Surfactants: Swelling, Structure, Phase Transitions and Additive Effects Rui A. Gonçalves 1 , Yeng-Ming Lam 1,* and Björn Lindman 1,2,3,* 1 School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, Singapore;
[email protected] 2 Centre for Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemistry, Division of Physical Chemistry, Lund University, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden 3 Coimbra Chemistry Center (CQC), Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Coimbra, 3004-535 Coimbra, Portugal * Correspondence:
[email protected] (Y.-M.L.);
[email protected] (B.L.) Abstract: Double-chain amphiphilic compounds, including surfactants and lipids, have broad significance in applications like personal care and biology. A study on the phase structures and their transitions focusing on dioctadecyldimethylammonium chloride (DODAC), used inter alia in hair conditioners, is presented. The phase behaviour is dominated by two bilayer lamellar phases, Lβ and Lα, with “solid” and “melted” alkyl chains, respectively. In particular, the study is focused on the effect of additives of different polarity on the phase transitions and structures. The main techniques used for investigation were differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS and WAXS). From the WAXS reflections, the distance between the alkyl chains in the bilayers was obtained, and from SAXS, the thicknesses of the surfactant and water layers. The Lα phase was found to have a bilayer structure, generally found for most Citation: Gonçalves, R.A.; Lam, Y.-M.; surfactants; a Lβ phase made up of bilayers with considerable chain tilting and interdigitation Lindman, B.