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Abstract
In this article we review the ordered micellar and inverse micellar lyotropic liquid-crystalline phases that can be formed by amphiphilic molecules such as lipids and surfactants. We focus first on the self-assembly of amphiphiles into aggregates, and then consider the interfacial curvature and the role of curvature elasticity and packing constraints in determining the allowed structures. We then review the range of ordered micellar and inverse micellar phases that have so far been observed in a variety of surfactant and lipid systems. Finally, we describe certain characteristic properties, such as the epitaxy between phases, and the self-diffusion and electrical conductivity within such ordered micellar phases.
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the Chemical Biology Centre (Imperial College London) and the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Platform Grant EP/G00465X.