Interaction between Polymer and Surfactant Mesophases

Abstract

The interaction of polymers with flexible surfactant layers may modify strongly the elasticity and fluctuations of the layers. This effect has been studied in two surfactant mesophases. Neutron Spin Echo (NSE) spectroscopy was used to probe the modification of membrane fluctuations first in the case of dilute microemulsion droplets both in the presence and absence of polymer. A second example studied more recently was hydrophobically modified polymers (polysoaps) interacting with fluctuating lamellar bilayers of a nonionic surfactant.