Abstract:The enthalpy of solution of phenoxy 2-ethanol, 1 phenoxy,-3 propanol and benzylalcoholwas determined at 25 ~ in aqueous sodium dodecylsulfate and hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide solution, up to 0.2 mol/kg surfactant concentration. Using the pseudo-phase model, the standard enthalpy of transfer and the partition coefficiem of the alcohols between micelle and water are calculated. The latter quantity is found to be systematically larger when derived from enthalpy than from free energy measurements. Using the so-called compensation plot, the solution thermodynamics of aromatic and aliphatic alcohols in aqueous sodium dodecylsulfate and in the octane + water systems are compared. Aromatic alcohols display an anomalous behavior in the octane + water system but not in the micellar one. The standard enthalpy of solution of various alcohols presents, when plotted against hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide concentration, a shoulder in the region around 0.05 mol/kg; a discussion is presented on the evidence for alleged micellar structural changes in aqueous micellar systems.