Monolayers of mono- and dioxyethylene dodecyl ethers at air–water and alkane–water interfaces

Surface pressure–area isotherms have been obtained for mono- and dioxyethylene dodecyl ethers both spread at the air–water surface and adsorbed at the heptane–water interface and results are compared with those for straight chain alkanols. At the heptane–water interface it appears that the ethyleneoxy groups are disposed parallel to the interface in fairly dilute films. The dual hydrophilic/hydrophobic nature of isolated CH2CH2O groups is demonstrated by showing that they give a negative contribution to the standard free energy of adsorption from both water and heptane to the heptane–water interface.