Sugar based surfactants like n-dodecyl-β-D-glucoside (C₁₂G₁) are made from renewable resources and are non-toxic and environmentally benign; unfortunately, their use is often restricted by limited solubility in water due to Krafft boundaries and miscibility gaps. Introducing a small amount of the ionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) reduces the miscibility gap for C₁₂G₁, and SDS concentration is an excellent control parameter for tuning a wide variety of available microstructure and macroscopic physical properties.

The phase behavior and resulting microstructure in the dilute region of C₁₂G₁/ SDS mixtures has been established. The microstructure was studied with light and neutron scattering techniques and by direct observation using cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM). The presence of a lamellar phase between the miscibility gap and the micelle phase results in a wide range of microstructure. Of special interest is the evolution of microstructure between the lamellar and micelle phases.

The elongated micelles and networks that are present near the miscibility gap are often associated with strong increases in the viscosity of solutions. Peaks in viscosity of several orders of magnitude have been found when the control parameter is either surfactant ratio or the addition of a simple salt (NaCl). An initial increase in viscosity as a control parameter is increased is directly related to the axial growth of micelles. The decrease in viscosity that follows a further increase of the control parameter is the result of branch point formation, and eventually the creation of a saturated micelle network.