Can you define micelles?

Hi Tanmay, In aqueous solution, molecules having both polar or charged groups and non-polar regions (Amphiphilic molecules) form aggregates called micelles. In a micelle, polar or ionic heads form an outer shell in contact with water, while non polar tails are sequestered in the interior. Hence, the core of a micelle, being formed of long non polar tails, resembles an oil or gasoline drop. The length of the non-polar tail, the nature and size of the polar or ionic head, the acidity of the solution, the temperature and the presence of added salts are the most important factors determining the kind of the obtained aggregate. If those parameters are changed, it is possible to change shape and size of the micelles. The number of amphiphilic molecules forming the aggregate is called aggregation number; it is a way to describe the size of the micelle. Micelles are widely used in industrial and biological fields for their ability to dissolve and move non polar substances through an aqueous medium, or to carry drugs which are, often scarcely soluble in water. The carrying ability of micelles can be altered, if parameters determining their size and shape are changed. All the best.

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A typical micelle in aqueous solution forms an aggregate with the hydrophilic head regions in contact with surrounding solvent, sequestering the hydrophobic single-tail regions in the micelle center. This phase is caused by the packing behavior of single-tail lipids in a bilayer.

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