Anionic-Cationic Surfactant Mixtures

In general, anionic and cationic surfactants are incompatible because their mixtures form insoluble complexes. There are, however, some complexes that are soluble and behave like regular surfactants, specifically like nonionic surfactants. We will treat the two types of complexes in separate sections. Before we can discuss surfactant mixtures and their properties, it is important that we review the general structure and properties of typical individual surfactants. We can then examine what properties of its individual surfactant components a mixture retains and what new properties emerge.