Surfactants and self-assembly in carbon dioxide

Amphiphilic compounds have played a vital role in the emergence of carbon dioxide in both its liquid and supercritical states as a versatile, environmentally benign solvent. This review serves to describe recent efforts in three major areas of the field: (1) polymeric amphiphile self-assembly in carbon dioxide solutions, (2) use of surfactants as stabilizing agents for polymerizations, and (3) studies involving ‘small molecule’ surfactant assemblies in carbon dioxide.