Experimental and simulation study of self-assembly and adsorption of glycerol monooleate in -dodecane with varying water content onto iron oxide

The self-assembly and surface adsorption of glycerol monooleate (GMO) in n -dodecane are studied using a combination of experimental and molecular dynamics simulation techniques. The self-assembly of GMO to form reverse micelles, with and without added water, is studied using small-angle neutron scattering and simulations. A large-scale simulation is also used to investigate the self-assembly kinetics. GMO adsorption onto iron oxide is studied using depletion isotherms, neutron reflectometry, and simulations. The adsorbed amounts of GMO, and any added water, are determined experimentally, and the structures of the adsorbed films are investigated using reflectometry. Detailed fitting and analysis of the reflectometry measurements are presented, taking into account various factors such as surface roughness, and the presence of impurities. The reflectometry measurements are complemented by molecular dynamics simulations, and good consistency between both approaches is demonstrated by direct comparison of measured and simulated reflectivity and scattering length density profiles. The results of this analysis are that in dry systems, GMO adsorbs as self-assembled reverse micelles with some molecules adsorbing directly to the surface through the polar head groups, while in wet systems, the GMO is adsorbed onto a thin layer of water. Only at high surface coverage is some water trapped inside a reverse-micelle structure; at lower surface coverages, the GMO molecules associate primarily with the water layer, rather than self-assemble. The interplay between surfactant reverse-micelle formation and surface adsorption in glycerol monooleate/dodecane/water/iron oxide systems is revealed using neutron reflectometry experiments and molecular dynamics simulations.