Micelle-mediated separation and cloud-point extraction

We present contemporary developments in the field of surfactants and micellar systems together with their applications in analysis, with the aim of highlighting some of the most important aspects of this area of research. We pay particular attention to speciation through cloud-point extraction (CPE), as well as to the differentiation of metallic species, oxidation states and complexes prior to their determination. We also present a theoretical background and a guide for experimentally optimizing CPE. We conclude by discussing some problems arising from the use of surfactant systems, while proposing future trends and potential new areas for their application.