Self-motion of a camphanic acid disk on water with different types of surfactants.

Control of the self-motion of a camphanic acid disk on water was investigated upon the addition of different kinds of surfactants (Triton X-100 and Brij58 as neutral surfactants, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as a cationic surfactant, and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as an anionic surfactant) to the water phase. With an increase in the concentration of surfactant, continuous motion changed to no motion via intermittent motion (repetition between motion and rest), and the concentration regions of these motions were different among these surfactants. Although the concentration regions of these motions were determined by the surface tension for neutral surfactants, they were different than those for CTAB and SDS. These characteristics of self-motion are discussed in relation to the surface tension, depending on the concentration of individual surfactants, and the hydrophilic effect of the surfactants.