ABSTRACT
I. INTRODUCTION The self-aggregation and self-organization of surfactants and related amphiphilic compounds are of essential importance in numerous areas of industrial applications and scientific research. Industrial applications include the use of surfactants in cleaning and personal care products, as emulsifiers for paints and dyestuffs, and as formulating agents in pharmaceuticals. Surfactants are used as templates for the production of molecular sieves and related inorganic materials and the formation of metal and mineral nanocrystals of specific sizes and shapes. Surfactants find application in the development of organic-inorganic composite materials, biomaterials, and as surface coatings for medical devices. As an integral part of complex fluids, surfactants are used in the oil field industry and as drag reducers in heating fluids. In scientific research, self-organizing amphiphiles are models for biological membranes. They find use in studies of membrane processes and as carriers for drugs and other biologically relevant agents. Micellar solutions are important mediators of chemical reactions between otherwise immiscible compounds. These are just a few examples of many applications detailed in this volume that are based on the self-aggregation of surfactants. The understanding of the driving forces behind these processes and the development of reliable models that predict the size and shape of the aggregates and allow tailoring molecules for specific purposes are therefore of essential importance in all of these areas.
