Interactions between nonpolar surfaces coated with the nonionic surfactant n-dodecyl-beta-D-maltoside.

The forces acting between nonpolar surfaces coated with the nonionic surfactant n-dodecyl-beta-D-maltoside (beta-C(12)G(2)) were investigated at concentrations below and above the critical micelle concentration. The long-range and adhesive forces were measured with a bimorph surface force apparatus (MASIF). It was found that the effect of hydrodynamic interactions had to be taken into account for an accurate determination of the short-range static interactions. The results were compared with disjoining pressure versus thickness curves that were obtained earlier with a thin film pressure balance (TFPB). This comparison led to the conclusion that the charges observed at the air-water interface are not due to charged species present in the surfactant sample. In addition, it was observed that the stability of thin liquid films crucially depends on the surfactant's bulk concentration (c) and thus on the packing density in the adsorbed layer. The force barrier preventing removal of the surfactant layer from between two solid-liquid interfaces increases with increasing c, while for foam films it is the stability of the Newton black film that increases with c. Finally, the results obtained for beta-C(12)G(2) were compared with those obtained for the homologue n-decyl-beta-d-maltoside (beta-C(10)G(2)) as well as with those obtained for nonionic surfactants with polyoxyethylene moieties as polar groups.