Self-assembly in fluorocarbon surfactant systems

Significant advances have been attained in the characterization of microstructure and microstructural transitions of surfactant aggregates in terms of shape, dimension, and connectivity, in both micellar and liquid crystalline phases and microemulsion systems. Fluorocarbon surfactants display a variety of phase behavior as large as that of hydrocarbon surfactants. The presence, however, of fluorine atoms in the surfactant molecules provides peculiar performances that are of great industrial interest.