Droplet interfacial structure studied by SANS contrast variation

Details of structure and composition at interfaces may be obtained by Small Angle Neutron Scattering (SANS) contrast variation. At the curved oil/surfactant/water interfaces of microemulsion droplets useful results may be obtained by simultaneous fits of core-shell models to SANS data measured at different scattering contrasts. Results for small ethyl octanoate/dimethyldodecylamineoxide/water droplets, where the oil core penetrates the surfactant layer, will illustrate this method. For block-copolymer micelles with deuterated poly(lactic acid) core, the composition profiles of thicker poly(ethylene glycol) shells were obtained using a model with a vertical step and two diffuse shells. One of the three water contrasts used was close to the "mean contrast" match point for the whole micelle, as opposed to "shell" contrast, providing a peak in the form factor very sensitive to the model used.