Reverse micelles as adaptative platforms for controlled synthesis

Abstract

In this review, we take the reader on a journey to explore the remarkable versatility of reverse micelles (RMs) formed by surfactants such as sodium dioctyl sulfosuccinate (AOT) and benzyl hexadecyl dimethylammonium chloride (BHDC) and derivatives. These nanoscale environments provide unique platforms for a wide range of chemical transformations, including aromatic nucleophilic substitutions, enzymatic, and unimolecular reactions.While confinement effects contribute, the extraordinary and often unexpected reactivity observed arises primarily from the distinctive properties of the interfacial region, which modulate the structure and dynamics of the encapsulated solvent and are strongly influenced by interfacial charge and ionicity. Ionic liquids (ILs)-based aggregates further enrich this landscape by introducing inherently charged, highly tunable interfaces that reshape polarity, solvation patterns, and substrate partitioning compared with classical surfactant systems.By uncovering how different interface chemistries, anionic, cationic, or IL-derived, govern reaction outcomes, we aim to highlight the surprising and tunable effects of RMs and their broad potential as nanoreactors in both fundamental research and industrial applications.