NMR studies of surfactants

Surfactant molecules are amphipathic and posses complicated solution chemistry and self-assembly properties. In addition to being of enormous practical significance, the physical characterization of surfactant systems presents a rich area of condensed matter physics. This article focuses on the application and interpretation of the commonly used NMR approaches for probing these systems. In particular, the use of NMR relaxation, diffusometry and, more briefly, electrophoretic NMR to determine characteristics such as micellar size and structure, ion-binding and solubilization are considered. The application of these NMR techniques is illustrated by a number of pertinent examples.