Surfactant micelles are capable of increasing the solubility of most organic molecules in water. The mechanism by which this solubilization occurs is the incorporation of the organic molecule into the micelle. The study of this phenomenon was very important in the history of our understanding of the physical chemistry of surfactants. To a considerable degree of accuracy, the core of the micelle acts like a drop of liquid alkane.

Articles

• Overview and History of the Study of Solubilization

  The paper is an interesting review of the history of surfactant solubilization.

• Micellar Solubilization of Unsaturated Hydrocarbon Concentrations As Evaluated by Semiequilibrium Dialysis

  Looks at how a simple technique called semiequilibrium dialysis can be used to measure the distribution of solubilized molecules between the water and the interior of the micelles.

• Increasing the Solubility Enhancement of Anionic DOWFAX Surfactants

  Illustrates how simple additives like fatty alcohols can dramatically increase the ability of surfactants to solubilize organics. We call these molecules "lipophilic linkers." Lipophilic linkers and their complements, hydrophilic linkers, are powerful tools to improve the efficiency of surfactants. The consequence of improving the effectiveness of surfactants is that the level of surfactants in the formulation can be reduced, thus lowering the cost of the formulation and increasing profitability.

• What is Supersolubilization?

  Looks at how hydrophilic and lipophilic linkers can be combined with a very water soluble surfactant to create solubilizations like those found in the middle phase of three phase systems. These systems have a dramatic ability to create high oil solubilizations while maintaining low viscosity and high transparency.

• Group Contribution Model for Predicting Solubilization of Organic Solutes by Surfactant Micelles

• Solubilization of 2-Phenylethanol by Dodecyldimethylamine Oxide in Aqueous Solution

• Solubilization of N-Hexanol in Mixed Micelles

• Solubilization of Perfume Compounds by Pure and Mixtures of Surfactants

• Semi-Equilibrium Dialysis: A New Method for Measuring the Solubilization of Organic Solutes by Aqueous Surfactant Solutions

Recommended Reading

• Solubilization in Surfactant Aggregates, Christian, S. D., and Scamehorn, J.F. (Eds.), Marcel Dekker, New York, 1995

• Solubility and Solubilization in Aqueous Media, S.H. Yalkowsky, ACS, Oxford University Press, New York, 1999

• Micellization, Solubilization, and Microemulsions, Volumes 1 and 2, K. L. Mittal, Editor, Plenum, New York, 1977

• Solution Behavior of Surfactants, Volumes 1 and 2, K. L. Mittal and E. J. Fendler, Editors, Plenum, New York, 1982

• Micellar Solubilization of Unsaturated Hydrocarbon Concentrations as Evaluated by Semi-Equilibrium Dialysis, J. D. Rouse, D. A. Sabatini, N. E. Deeds, R. E. Brown, and J. H. Harwell, Env. Sci. & Tech., 29 (10) 2484-2489 (1995)

• Solubilization Isotherms: Experimental Measurement of Solubilization Isotherms for Organic Solutes in Aqueous Micellar Systems, C. M. Nguyen, S. D. Christian, and J. F. Scamehorn, Tenside, Surfactants, Deterg., 25, 328 (1988)

• Organized Surfactant Assemblies in Separation Science, W. L. Hinze, in Use of Ordered Media in Separations, W. L. Hinze and D. W. Armstrong, Editors, American Chemical Society Symposium Series, 342, 2 (1987)

• Extraction of Proteins and Amino Acids Using Reversed Micelles, T. A. Hatton, in Use of Ordered Media in Separations, W. L. Hinze and D. W. Armstrong, Editors, American Chemical Society Symposium Series, 342, 2 (1987)

• Solubilization of Mono- and Dichlorophenols by Hexadecylpyridinium Chloride Micelles. Effects of Substituent Groups, B.-H. Lee, S. D. Christian, E. E. Tucker, and J. F. Scamehorn, Langmuir, 6, 230 (1990)