Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Surface Active Agents01:27

Surface Active Agents

Surfactants, named for their behavior at interfaces, positively adsorb at the interfaces of two phases, reducing interfacial tension. Their versatility as emulsifiers, detergents, and foaming agents stems from this ability. Surfactants, often termed amphiphiles, share the property of amphipathy, with molecules having both hydrophilic and hydrophobic portions. The hydrophilic part is called the head, and the hydrophobic part, including an elongated alkyl substituent, forms the tail.Surfactants...
Solubility03:00

Solubility

Solution, Solubility, and Solubility Equilibrium
A solution is a homogeneous mixture composed of a solvent, the major component, and a solute, the minor component. The physical state of a solution—solid, liquid, or gas—is typically the same as that of the solvent. Solute concentrations are often described with qualitative terms such as dilute (of relatively low concentration) and concentrated (of relatively high concentration).
In a solution, the solute particles (molecules, atoms, and/or ions)...
Micelles01:30

Micelles

Micelle formation is an intricate process that hinges on the properties of amphiphilic or amphipathic molecules and the conditions of the system in which they are found. Amphiphilic molecules, which have both hydrophilic (water-attracting) and hydrophobic (water-repelling) parts, play a critical role in this process.In aqueous environments, these molecules arrange themselves such that their hydrophilic heads are turned towards the water phase, while their hydrophobic tails are oriented away...
Entropy and Solvation02:05

Entropy and Solvation

The process of surrounding a solute with solvent is called solvation. It involves evenly distributing the solute within the solvent. The rule of thumb for determining a solvent for a given compound is that like dissolves like. A good solvent has molecular characteristics similar to those of the compound to be dissolved. For example, polar solutions dissolve polar solutes, and apolar solvents dissolve apolar solutes. A polar solvent is a solvent that has a high dielectric constant (ϵ ≥ 15); an...
Colloids03:22

Colloids

Children at play often make suspensions such as mixtures of mud and water, flour and water, or a suspension of solid pigments in water known as tempera paint. These suspensions are heterogeneous mixtures composed of relatively large particles that are visible to the naked eye or can be seen with a magnifying glass. They are cloudy, and the suspended particles settle out after mixing. On the other hand, a solution is a homogeneous mixture in which no settling occurs and in which the dissolved...
Cohesion01:07

Cohesion

Cohesion is the attraction between molecules of the same type, such as water molecules. Water molecules have an overall neutral charge but are polar molecule. An oxygen atom in one water molecule has a partial negative charge that can bind to a hydrogen atom with a partial positive charge in a second water molecule, forming a hydrogen bond. Each water molecule can form up to four hydrogen bonds with other water molecules. Hydrogen bonds are responsible for water's cohesive nature.
On a surface,...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Announcement for JCIS.

Journal of colloid and interface science·2026
Same author

Sequential, Multistep, and Cooperative Helicity Evolution in Supramolecular Polymers of Chlorophyll Rosettes.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same author

Folding-Mediated Self-Assembly of Sterically Demanding π-Luminophore Dyads into Nanotubes Exhibiting Multidirectional Exciton Transport.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same author

The effects of surfactant tail branching on oil-water interfacial tension reduction.

Journal of colloid and interface science·2025
Same author

Efficient silicon-containing di-chain anionic surfactants for stabilizing oil-water interfaces in microemulsions.

Soft matter·2025
Same author

Molecular and pore-scale structure evolution in amorphous solid water.

Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 29, 2026

Extraction and Characterization of Surfactants from Atmospheric Aerosols
09:34

Extraction and Characterization of Surfactants from Atmospheric Aerosols

Published on: April 21, 2017

Are hydrotropes distinct from surfactants?

Marios Hopkins Hatzopoulos1, Julian Eastoe, Peter J Dowding

  • 1School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Cantock's Close, Bristol, BS8 1TS, United Kingdom.

Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids
|August 30, 2011
PubMed
Summary

Hydrotropes and surfactants exhibit similar aggregation behaviors. This study found that sodium p-n-alkylbenzoates, even those classified as hydrotropes, show typical surfactant aggregation transitions, challenging distinct classifications.

More Related Videos

Studying Surfactant Effects on Hydrate Crystallization at Oil-Water Interfaces Using a Low-Cost Integrated Modular Peltier Device
06:31

Studying Surfactant Effects on Hydrate Crystallization at Oil-Water Interfaces Using a Low-Cost Integrated Modular Peltier Device

Published on: March 18, 2020

Enhanced Oil Recovery using a Combination of Biosurfactants
13:19

Enhanced Oil Recovery using a Combination of Biosurfactants

Published on: June 3, 2022

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 29, 2026

Extraction and Characterization of Surfactants from Atmospheric Aerosols
09:34

Extraction and Characterization of Surfactants from Atmospheric Aerosols

Published on: April 21, 2017

Studying Surfactant Effects on Hydrate Crystallization at Oil-Water Interfaces Using a Low-Cost Integrated Modular Peltier Device
06:31

Studying Surfactant Effects on Hydrate Crystallization at Oil-Water Interfaces Using a Low-Cost Integrated Modular Peltier Device

Published on: March 18, 2020

Enhanced Oil Recovery using a Combination of Biosurfactants
13:19

Enhanced Oil Recovery using a Combination of Biosurfactants

Published on: June 3, 2022

Area of Science:

  • Physical Chemistry
  • Colloid and Surface Science
  • Materials Science

Background:

  • Hydrotropes are compounds that increase the solubility of sparingly soluble substances.
  • The aggregation mechanism of hydrotropes and their distinction from surfactants remain unclear.
  • Sodium p-n-alkylbenzoates represent a homologous series for studying aggregation phenomena.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the physicochemical properties of sodium p-n-alkylbenzoates.
  • To determine if a transition point exists between hydrotropic and surfactant-like behavior with increasing alkyl chain length.
  • To elucidate the aggregation mechanism of hydrotropes.

Main Methods:

  • Electrical conductivity measurements for estimating critical aggregation concentrations (cac).
  • Surface tension measurements to determine limiting headgroup areas (A(cac)).
  • Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) to analyze aggregation structures.

Main Results:

  • Electrical conductivity revealed two branches for log(cac) dependence on alkyl chain length, similar to surfactants.
  • Surface tension measurements indicated monolayer formation with headgroup areas between 40-50 Å(2).
  • SANS confirmed sharp aggregation transitions for lower chain length homologues, characteristic of surfactants.

Conclusions:

  • The study found no significant difference in association behavior between hydrotropes and regular surfactants.
  • Hydrotropes exhibit aggregation transitions typical of surfactants, suggesting a unified aggregation mechanism.
  • The findings challenge the traditional classification of hydrotropes as distinct from surfactants.