Chemistry Reference
In-Depth Information
6
Solubilization and Micellar
and Phase Transfer Catalysis
In addition to being one of the fundamental thermodynamic consequences of the
nature of amphiphilic molecules, micelle formation has a significant practical
impact on the application of surfactants in various technological areas. The techno-
logically important phenomena related to micellar solubilization and micellar cat-
alysis deserve special mention in any discussion of surfactant technology,
especially in view of the increasing attention they are receiving in both academic
and industrial circles. The ability to incorporate inherently insoluble (or only
slightly soluble) materials into a solvent system in a stable, reproducible, and read-
ily characterized way has many significant technological implications and applica-
tions. Two examples of potentially great economic and social importance include
new drug delivery systems and tertiary oil recovery methods. Other areas of appli-
cation in personal care products, agriculture, medicine, foods, biotechnology, and
so on can be conceived of by the innovative scientist.
This chapter focuses on three types of phenomenon that are closely related to the
presence of amphiphiles and micelles in solution, and on the roles surfactant struc-
tures and other characteristics may play in their application. To exploit the micellar
nature of surfactants and to realize their technological potential, it is necessary for
the investigator to understand and very carefully control the many variables
involved in the various phenomena. It is probable that in the near future we will
see a dramatic increase in the use of micellar and related systems to produce better,
more effective, more appealing, and (hopefully) cheaper products for the realization
of a better world.
From the dawn of science and the ''sometimes science'' of the alchemists, a
major goal has been the emulation of natural processes in bringing about chemical
change, in addition to the ''classical'' desire to change base metals into gold. The
quiet prayer of many synthetic chemists has long been that their reaction pathways
would someday approach those of nature's enzymes in speed, efficiency, and effec-
tiveness. While modern chemical techniques have made it possible to prepare many
unique compounds that do not seem to appear in nature (probably because there is
no ''natural'' need for them), those preparations usually involve such extreme
