Self-assembly in non-aqueous polar solvents

The self-assembly of amphiphilic molecules in non-aqueous polar solvents is usually attenuated compared to that in water. The CMCs increase significantly upon the substitution of water by polar solvents [2, 57, 58]. For example, the CMC of ionic surfactants in ethylene glycol are two orders of magnitude larger than that in water [57], while the monomeric solubility of sodium dodecyl sulphate in formamide is so high that micelles do not form at all [58]. Attenuation of self-assembly in non-aqueous polar solvents is the result of the reduced free energy of repulsion between polar solvents and the solvent-phobic parts of amphiphiles compared to that in water. 

C14TAB-H20 C16TAB-H20 C14TAB-Glycerol C16TAB-Glycerol 

C12TAB, C14TAB, C16TAB, C16TAB-Formamide C16TAB-N-methylformaide 

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