Distinct character of surfactant gels: a smooth progression from micelles to fibrillar networks.
Gel formation by surfactant molecules is argued to be a process similar to micellization rather than crystallization; it is controlled by thermodynamics rather than kinetics. The properties of surfactant-based gels are compared with those of gels with crystalline fibrillar networks, and questions associated with the nature of these gels are raised.
Raghavan
Srinivasa R
SR
Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742-2111, USA. sraghava@umd.edu