Question

Hexadecyltrimethylammonium chloride, CH3(CH2)15N(CH3)13 Cl2, is one of a class of cationic detergents, commonly used in shampoos and as “clothes rinses.”


(a) Identify the hydrophilic head group and the hydrophobic tail.


(b) Draw a depiction of a micelle that would form if this compound were dissolved in water.


(c) What are the intermolecular forces that are primarily responsible for the micelle’s solubility in water? 


Answer 1