Polymer–surfactant interaction for controlling the rheological properties of aqueous surfactant solutions

Controlling viscosity of aqueous surfactant solutions is very important for practical formulations. This can be done by having polymers interact with surfactants, thereby forming interconnected physical networks, where main ways of interaction are electrostatic and hydrophobic forces. Polymer–surfactant interactions are long established for viscosity control, but there are many ongoing activities. They are driven by wanting more biocompatible systems, which depend intricately on the choice of surfactant and polymer, and general predictions are not simple for such systems. Surfactants form spherical or wormlike micelles or vesicles. By choice of (co)polymers one can construct systems responsive to external parameters, like temperature or pH, for having tailored rheological properties. Here we describe recent developments with a focus on systems of low concentration, being interesting for applications. In summary, rheological control of polymer–surfactant systems is a versatile topic and a field of colloid science with high relevance for practical formulations.