Molecular design of surfactants to tailor its aggregation properties

Surfactant molecules produce different types of aggregates upon solubilization in water above a critical concentration. The molecular architectures of surfactants profoundly influence the properties of these aggregates. This article presents the results of molecular design of a whole variety of surfactants and confines its discussion to a large extent on the contributions made by the author's research group. The classes of surfactants that were included herein are twin-tailed gemini, multi-headed surfactants and ion-paired amphiphiles. The modulation of the micellar and vesicular properties by such gemini and ion-paired surfactants respectively upon modification of their chemical structure has been discussed. Rationale for such property variation has been presented It has been also discussed how the micellar morphology and properties depend on the charge density of multi-headed surfactants. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.