A new method for the determination of the critical micelle concentration of Triton X-100 in the absence and presence of beta-cyclodextrin by resonance Rayleigh scattering technology.

A new method for the determination of the critical micelle concentration (CMC) of Triton X-100 in aqueous solution and beta-cyclodextrin solution by resonance Rayleigh scattering (RRS) has been developed. The method is based on the measurement of the RRS intensity of different concentration of Triton X-100 in aqueous solution and beta-cyclodextrin solution (6.0 x 10(-4) mol l(-1)). When the RRS intensities were plotted against the concentration of Triton X-100, an inflection point appeared at the Triton X-100 concentration of 5.0 x 10(-4) mol l(-1) in aqueous solution and 1.1 x 10(-3) mol l(-1) in beta-cyclodextrin solution, respectively. These values of concentration corresponded to the CMC of Triton X-100 in aqueous solution and beta-cyclodextrin solution, which also agreed closely with the results reported by surface tension and UV-Vis absorption spectrophotometry. Therefore, the present RRS method is very convenient, rapid and accurate and can be used as a new technology for the determination of CMC values of surfactants without any probe. The relationship between the RRS intensity and the concentration, aggregate state and the aggregate molecular size of Triton X-100 has been primarily discussed.