Spin label studies of micellar and pre-micellar aggregates

Micelles of hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTABr) have been investigated with the use of a faty acid spin label and its methyl ester derivative. The esr * spectra provided information about the degree of motion of the probes in the micelles as evaluated from calculation of rotational correlation times. Evidence is presented for the formation of pre-micellar aggregates at concentrations below the cmc. The effect of addition of thiophenoxide on the structure of CTABr micelles was to decrease the rate of motion of the spin probes, probably due to a tighter packing of the hydrophobic core as a consequence of charge neutralization at the micelle surface by the substrate. Decreasing values of the isotropic hyperfine splitting of the spin probe with increasing concentration of thiophenoxide were taken as indicating that the latter causes a decrease of the degree of hydration of the polar head region of the detergent.