Abstract:
Due to the high affinity of imidazolium and benzimidazolium cations to interact with phosphate and
sulfate-based anionic surfactants, micelles of different shapes and properties have been constructed by
tailoring the design of organic cations and anionic surfactants. Accumulation of a conjugated aromatic
system to such kinds of cationic receptors introduces interesting photophysical properties such as
aggregation-induced emission (AIE), and aggregation caused quenching (ACQ), which allows them to be
used as a sensor and for catalytic degradation of environmental contaminants. The current review will be
focused on the design, synthesis, and characterization of micellar structures with various spectroscopic and
electrochemical techniques. The applications of the micellar system to the potential future development of
sensors are discussed in the context of recent findings of catalytic and sensing activity of cationic
receptors. Additionally, the resemblance of these micelles with lipid bilayer structures (phospholipids), and
their interaction with the cell wall of bacteria to eradicate the bacteria, is also discussed.
