Free energy approach to micellization and aggregation: Equilibrium, metastability, and kinetics

TL;DR

This paper reviews a free-energy based micellization theory that unifies equilibrium and kinetic phenomena, including metastability and transient states, offering adaptable insights into micellar behavior beyond traditional models.

Contribution

It introduces a unified free-energy framework for micellization that captures equilibrium, metastability, and kinetic processes, surpassing conventional mass action and rate equation approaches.

Findings

Existence of metastable premicelles and transient aggregates

Prediction of micellar nucleation and growth dynamics

Discussion of experimental tests for the theory

Abstract

We review a recently developed micellization theory, which is based on a free-energy approach and offers several advantages over the conventional one, based on mass action and rate equations. As all the results are derived from a single free-energy expression, one can adapt the theory to different scenarios by merely modifying the initial expression. We present results concerning various features of micellization out of equilibrium, such as the existence of metastable aggregates (premicelles), micellar nucleation and growth, transient aggregates, and final relaxation toward equilibrium. Several predictions that await experimental investigation are discussed.