Mesh phases of surfactant-water systems

Abstract

Mesh phases are a class of intermediate phases found in many surfactant systems, which provide a topological link between the hexagonal phase made up of cylindrical micelles and the lamellar phase made up of planar bilayers. This article gives a brief review of the structures of these phases and also of different surfactant systems where they occur. The emphasis will be on a class of mixed surfactant systems in which mesh phases have been shown to occur recently. The influence of various structural parameters of the surfactant on the structure and stability of these phases is also discussed.