Water penetration into micelles as determined by optical rotary dispersion

Optical rotary dispersion data are presented to support the concept of the presence of water inside micelles, as contrasted with the classical Hartley Model which portrays micelles as oil droplets encased by ionic shells. It has been observed that (+)-trans-2-chloro-5-methylcyc in micellar solutions gives a cotton effect similar to that in pure water. Evidence that the probe does absorb into or onto the micelles is offered through the observation that ketone can be dissolved in micellar solutions with only brief shaking, whereas dissolution in pure water requires sonication, as demonstrated by the technique of optical rotary dispersion to produce a plot of molecular rotation vs. wavelength. 10 references.