THERMODYNAMIC AND RELATED STUDIES OF AMPHIPHILE PLUS WATER-SYSTEMS

Modest sized amphiphiles play an important role as aqueous co-solvents. Thermodynamic studies of their aqueous mixtures appear to indicate that they are capable of mimicking the important schemes of self-aggregation that are known to be characteristic of detergents and lipids. Attention is focused upon the alkyl poly(ethylene glycol) monoether + water systems. The composition dependence of their thermodynamic properties is discussed in terms of both graphical and numerical analyses and possible interpretations of the effects of molecular aggregation.