Diffusion of isolated surface-active molecules at the air/water interface

Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy was applied to study the diffusion of isolated surface-active molecules at air/water interfaces. Rhodamine 6G was used as a surface-active fluorescent tracer. Results show that the diffusion coefficient of the Rhodamine 6G at the interface is about 2.5 times higher than in the bulk. Effects of Rhodamine 6G concentration and added SDS or CTAB surfactants have been studied. Diffusion of Rhodamine 6G at the interface is slowed down at surfactant concentration corresponding to a mean distance between molecules of 10 and 40 nm, indicating a long-range interaction.