Thermosensitive micelles formed from a small-molecule amphiphile: switchable LCST and potential application in cloud point separation

Thermosensitive micelles are prepared through self-assembly of a small-molecule amphiphile. The micelles exhibit a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of 34 °C in aqueous solution, which can be switched simply by bubbling CO2. Moreover, thermally induced aggregation of the micelles can facilitate the separation of hydrophobic pollutants from water.