For full functionality of this site it is necessary to enable JavaScript. Here are the instructions how to enable JavaScript in your web browser.

Position within the page tree

FFEM – Structures of Gelled and Nongelled Complex Fluids

Project:

Gelled complex fluids

Emulsions, suspensions, liquids, gels, biological samples, etc. can be studied with Freeze Fracture and Etching System EM BAF060.

We use FFEM technique (freeze-fracture electron microscopy) to visualize the structure of binary organogels [1,2], of gelled and nongelled bicontinuous microemulsions [2, 9-10] as well as of gelled and nongelled lyotropic liquid crystals [3-8, 11-13].

The systems of choice are:

1) H₂O – n-decane – tetraethylene glycol monodecyl ether (C₁₀E₄) [2,3];

2) H₂O – didodecyldimethylammonium bromide (2-C₁₂DAB) [4];

3) H₂O – heptaethylene glycol monododecyl ether (C₁₂E₇) [5-7];

4) H₂O – sodium dodecylsulphate (SDS) – n-decanol [8];

5) H₂O – N,N-dimethyl-N-ethyl-1-hexadecylammonium bromide (CDEAB) – n-decanol and H₂O – N,N,N-trimethyl-N-Tetradecylammonium bromide (C₁₄TAB) – n-decanol ([11-12], see LLC-gels);

6) H₂O – di-rhamnolipid Rewoferm $^{®}$ RL 100 ([13], see Nanostructured LLC-gels);

to which the low molecular weight gelator (LMG) is added.

[1] The Molecular Organogel n-Decane/12-Hydroxyoctadecanoic Acid: Sol-Gel Transition, Rheology, and Microstructure. M. Laupheimer, N. Preisig, C. Stubenrauch, COLSUA, 2015, 469, 315-325.

[2] Gelled bicontinuous microemulsions: a new type of orthogonal self-assembled systems. M. Laupheimer, Series Springer Theses, Springer: Heidelberg, 2014.

[3] Gelled lyotropic liquid crystals: one more type of orthogonal self-assembled systems. Y. Xu, M. Laupheimer, N. Preisig, T. Sottmann, C. Schmidt, C. Stubenrauch, Langmuir, 2015, 31, 8589-8598.

[4] Gelling Lamellar Phases of the Binary System Water − Didodecyldimethylammonium Bromide with an Organogelator, S. Koitani, S. Dieterich, N. Preisig, K. Aramaki, C. Stubenrauch, Langmuir, 2017, 33, 12171–12179.

[5] The Twofold Role of 12-Hydroxyoctadecanoic Acid (12-HOA) in a Ternary Water—Surfactant—12-HOA System: Gelator and Co-Surfactant. K. Steck, C. Schmidt, C. Stubenrauch, Gels, 4, 78, 2018.

[6] Gelling Lyotropic Liquid Crystals with the Organogelator 1,3:2,4-Dibenzylidene-d-sorbitol Part I: Phase Studies and Sol–Gel Transitions. K. Steck, C. Stubenrauch, Langmuir, 2019, 35, 17132-17141. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.9b01688.

[7] Gelling Lyotropic Liquid Crystals with the Organogelator 1,3:2,4-Dibenzylidene-d-sorbitol Part II: Microstructure. K. Steck, N. Preisig, C. Stubenrauch, Langmuir, 2019, 35, 17142-17149. http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.9b03346

[8] Gelation of Lyotropic Liquid-Crystal Phases—The Interplay between Liquid Crystalline Order and Physical Gel Formation. S. Dieterich, T. Sottmann, F. Giesselmann, Langmuir, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.9b02621.

[9] Studying orthogonal self-assembled systems: phase behaviour and rheology of gelled microemulsions. M. Laupheimer, K. Jovic, F. E. Antunes, M. da Graça Martins Miguel, C. Stubenrauch, Soft Matter, 2013, 9, 3661-3670.

[10] Studying orthogonal self-assembled systems: microstructure of gelled bicontinuous microemulsions. M. Laupheimer, T. Sottmann, R. Schweins, C. Stubenrauch, Soft Matter, 2013, 10, 8744-8757.

[11] Time Dependence of Gel Formation in Lyotropic Nematic Liquid Crystals: From Hours to Weeks. M. Dombrowski, M. Herbst, N. Preisig, F. Giesselmann, C. Stubenrauch, Gels, 2024, 10, 261. https://doi.org/10.3390/gels10040261.

[12] Magnetic-field alignment of micellar lyotropic nematic gels and their memory-effect. M. Herbst, M. Dombrowski, C. Stubenrauch, F. Giesselmann, J. Mater. Chem. C., 2025, 13 18187. https://doi.org/10.1039/D5TC01659B.

[13] Self-Assembly and Liquid Crystalline Phases of the Biosurfactant di-Rhamnolipid. P. Le Bastart de Villeneuve, F. Trummer, N. Preisig, H. Yalcinkaya, J. Venzmer, J., Kleinen, T. Sottmann, C. Stubenrauch, Journal of Molecular Liquids, 2025, 436, 128271. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molliq.2025.128271.