Synergistic and antagonistic effects in micellization of mixed surfactants

Binary mixtures of different surfactants can demonstrate diverse self-assembly dynamics and subsequently form varieties of structures which are distinctive to the ones demonstrated by single-component systems. These self-assemblies are directed by the interactions between surfactant molecules. Such interactions can serve either in favor (synergistic) or against (antagonistic) the molecular assembly. In this study the synergistic and antagonistic effects existing in the binary mixtures of nonionic-cationic, nonionic-anionic, and cationic-anionic surfactant pairs are exclusively reviewed. Origin of synergistic and antagonistic interactions and the parameters that influence these effects are explored. Synergistic effects of binary surfactant mixtures utilized in foaming and adsorption for monolayer formation are analyzed. Assessment of the relation between thermodynamic properties and the synergistic/antagonistic behavior in these binary mixtures are explained.