Distinct Character of Surfactant Gels: A Smooth Progression from Micelles to Fibrillar Networks

Gel formation by surfactant molecules is argued to be a process similar to micellization rather than crystallization; it is controlled by thermodynamics rather than kinetics. The properties of surfactant-based gels are compared with those of gels with crystalline fibrillar networks, and questions associated with the nature of these gels are raised.