Solubilization of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in aqueous sodium dioctylsulfosuccinate solutions

Abstract Molar solubilization ratio (MSR) of sodium dioctylsulfosuccinate (AOT), a double-chained anionic surfactant, has been determined in aqueous medium for five polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), viz., naphthalene, 2-methoxynaphthalene, 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethane, 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethane and 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(4-chlorophenyl)ethylene by using spectrophotometric method. Partition coefficients of these PAHs in AOT solution have also been evaluated. Micellar shape and substituent group in the PAH are found to affect the value of MSR. AOT appears to have higher solubilization power compared to other single-chained ionic surfactants and could be a potential surfactant for soil remediation.