Micellar solubilization

In non-chemical literature and in everyday language, the term "solubilization" is sometimes used[citation needed] in a broader meaning as "to bring to a solution or (non-sedimenting) suspension" by any means, e.g., leaching by a reaction with an acid.

Micellar solubilization is widely utilized, e.g. in laundry washing using detergents, in the pharmaceutical industry, for formulations of poorly soluble drugs in solution form,[2] and in cleanup of oil spills using dispersants.

Literature distinguishes two major mechanisms of solubilization process of oil by surfactant micelles, affecting the kinetics of solubilization:[3] surface reaction, i.e., by transient adsorption of micelles at the water-oil interface, and bulk reaction, whereby the surfactant micelles capture dissolved oil molecules.

Solubilization of Homopolymers by Block Copolymer Micelles in Dilute Solutions, J. Phys.

Chem., 1995, 99 (11), pp 3723–3731, Jose R. Quintana, Ramiro A. Salazar, Issa Katime