Dynamic light scattering (DLS) has evolved as a fast, convenient tool for particle size analysis of noninteracting spherical colloids. In this historical review, we discuss the basic principle, data analysis, and important precautions to be taken while analyzing colloids using DLS. The effect of particle interaction, polydispersity, anisotropy, light absorption, and so forth, on measured diffusion coefficient is discussed. New developments in this area such as diffusing wave spectroscopy, particle tracking analysis, microrheological studies using DLS, and so forth, are discussed in a manner that can be understood by a beginner.

The addition of low concentrations of the hydrotropic salt p-toluidine hydrochloride (PTHC) to solutions of the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) promotes the transition from spherical to rodlike micelles. NMR measurements confirm that the hydrotrope adsorbs at the micelle-water interface, thereby screening electrostatic repulsions between the surfactant headgroups. The sphere-to-rod transition in dilute solutions is followed using quasielastic light scattering, and in the semidilute concentration range dynamic rheology is used to probe the viscoelastic nature of the solutions. The scaling of the zero-shear viscosity and the plateau modulus with surfactant concentration indicates the presence of electrostatic interactions between the micelles.

Rheological experiments were carried out on aqueous dispersions of cetyltrimethylammoniumhydroxynaphthalenecarboxylate (CTAHNC) as a function of temperature. The results indicate the formation of very long elongated wormlike micelles at temperatures higher than about 50 °C, conferring to the system a very high viscosity. This behavior is explained by the combined effect of a large end cap energy and a low ionization degree resulting from a strong binding of the weakly soluble counterions. At lower temperature the surfactant forms a much more fluid vesicle phase, which is observed by videomicroscopy. Experiments performed on mixtures of CTAHNC and of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) show also a vesicle to micelle transition for a ratio of CTAB/CTAHNC that decreases upon increasing the temperature. The rheological behavior of the micellar phase obtained by mixing CTAB and CTAHNC is similar to that obtained for other charged micellar solutions.

Dynamic light scattering (DLS), small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), and viscosity studies have been carried out to examine the influence of NaCl and ethanol on the structure of triblock copolymer [(EO)20(PO)70(EO)20] (EO = ethylene oxide; PO = propylene oxide) micelles in aqueous medium. The studies show that while the pure triblock copolymer solutions do not show any significant growth of the micelles on approaching the cloud point, the presence of a small amount of ethanol (5-10%) induces a sphere to rod shape transition of micelles at high temperatures. Interestingly, this ethanol induced sphere to rod transition of micelles can be brought down to room temperature (25 degrees C) with the addition of NaCl. It is also found that NaCl alone cannot induce such sphere to rod transitions and excess ethanol suppresses them by increasing their transition temperature.