Dielectric spectroscopy of cosurfactant facilitated percolation in reverse microemulsions

Dielectric analysis of the APG/n-butanol/cyclohexane/water nonionic microemulsions

The nonionic APG/n-butanol/cyclohexane/water microemulsions with different microstructure, which is induced by the variation of water contents, are investigated by the dielectric spectroscopy. An appropriate dielectric theory, Hanai theory and the corresponding analytical method are applied to obtain the internal properties of the constituent phases of microemulsions, such as the relative permittivity and conductivity of continuous and dispersed phases and the volume fraction of dispersed phase. Using these parameters, the distribution of n-butanol in constituent phases, which is of important in the study field of the microstructure of microemulsion, is obtained quantitatively. It is found that the n-butanol molecules not only distribute in the interfacial APG layer but also in the continuous and dispersed phases. In addition, the percolation threshold is interpreted by using the dynamic percolation model. The structural and dynamic information are obtained, for instance, the critical volume fraction of water when percolation occurs and the characteristic time for the rearrangement of clusters. These parameters are intimately related to the properties of microemulsions, especially the characteristics of the interfacial layer.

Formation of mesoscopic water networks in aqueous systems

Formation of the macroscopically-infinite hydrogen-bonded water network in various aqueous systems occurs via 3D percolation transition when the probability of finding a spanning water cluster exceeds 95%. As a result, in a wide interval of water content below the percolation threshold, rarefied quasi-2D water networks span over the mesoscopic length scale. Formation and topology of spanning water networks, which affect various properties of aqueous systems, can be described within the framework of the percolation theory.