Rheological Properties of Surfactant Systems
Summary
Surfactant systems derive their unique flow and deformation characteristics from the self‐assembly of amphiphilic molecules into structures such as spherical micelles, rodlike and wormlike micelles, lamellar phases and bicontinuous networks. The transition between Newtonian behaviour and viscoelastic or gel‐like responses is governed by variables including concentration, temperature, ionic strength and molecular architecture. At low surfactant loading, solutions often display classic shear‐thinning of micellar fluids, whereas at higher concentrations entangled networks of wormlike micelles impart both elasticity and yield stress, giving rise to viscoelastic relaxation phenomena. Control over micellar curvature, headgroup interactions and tail packing enables tuning of zero‐shear viscosity, relaxation times and critical shear rates for shear‐banding. These properties underpin a broad range of applications from enhanced oil recovery and hydraulic fracturing to personal‐care and pharmaceutical formulations. Recent advances in molecular design—such as isomer‐specific headgroup arrangements, hybrid nanoparticle‐surfactant networks and tailored hydrotrope co‐assemblies—have allowed precise modulation of microstructure and macroscopic rheology. A deeper thermodynamic and microstructural understanding now informs predictive models linking molecular parameters to bulk flow, with global significance for energy, environmental and consumer‐product technologies.
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Rheological Properties of Surfactant Systems publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in rheological properties of surfactant systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Rheology: The study of flow and deformation of materials under applied stress.
Surfactant: An amphiphilic molecule with a hydrophilic head and hydrophobic tail that self‐assembles in solution.
Micelle: An aggregate of surfactant molecules with tails inward and headgroups facing the solvent.
Wormlike micelle: Elongated, flexible micellar aggregates that can entangle to form viscoelastic networks.
Viscoelasticity: Material response exhibiting both viscous flow and elastic recovery.
Shear thinning: Reduction in viscosity with increasing shear rate.
Newtonian fluid: A fluid with constant viscosity independent of shear rate.
Gel: A soft solid network formed by interconnected micellar or polymeric assemblies.
Critical micellar concentration (CMC): The surfactant concentration above which micelles begin to form.
References
- Exploiting spatial isomerism to modulate the assembled phase and rheological response of compositionally identical sugar-based surfactants. Chemical Science (2025).
- Growth of wormlike micelles in nonionic surfactant solutions: Quantitative theory vs. experiment. Advances in Colloid and Interface Science (2018).
- Novel Trends in the Development of Surfactant-Based Hydraulic Fracturing Fluids: A Review. Gels (2021).
- Can More Nanoparticles Induce Larger Viscosities of Nanoparticle-Enhanced Wormlike Micellar System (NEWMS)?. Materials (2017).
- The Study of a Novel Nanoparticle-Enhanced Wormlike Micellar System. Discover Nano (2017).
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