Amin	Minimum area per molecule at the water/air interface
AGET	Activators generated by electron transfer
AIBN	Azobisisobutyronitrile
AM	Acrylamide
ATRP	Atom transfer radical polymerizations
Aze⁺	Azepanium
Azo⁺	Azocanium
C₁, C₂, etc	Methyl, ethyl, etc, these alkyl groups have n-chain, unless indicated otherwise.
pC20	Surface tension reduction efficiency (by 20 mN m⁻1).
Cmc	Critical micelle concentration
CTAB	Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide
CTACl	Cetyltrimethylammonium chloride
DBS	Dodecylbenzene sulphonate
EO	Ethylene oxide unit
GILBS	Gemini ionic liquid-based surfactant, where two ILBSs are joined with a tether or a spacer.
Gu⁺	Guanidinium
HC	Surfactant hydrophobic group (or tail)
HG	Surfactant head-group
ILBS	Ionic liquid-based surfactant
Im+	Imidazolium ring
Mn	Number average molar mass
Mw	Weight average molar mass
MM	Molar mass
MMA	Methyl methacrylate monomer
MNP	Mesoporous nanoparticles
MSNP	Mesoporous silica nanoparticle
Mor⁺	Morpholinium
N⁺	Ammonium
Nagg	Average aggregation number of the micellar aggregate
NP	Nanoparticle
OA	Oleic acid
OHIm	Hydroxyl-functionalized imidazolium ring
O/W	Oil-in-water emulsion or microemulsion
P⁺	Phosphonium
Pip⁺	Piperidinium
PMMA	Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA)
Pn+	2-Pyrrolidinonium
PS	Polystyrene
Py+	Pyridinium ring
Pyrro⁺	Pyrrolidinium
SDS	Sodium dodecyl sulphate, SDS
SMeIm	Thioether-functionalized methylimidazolium ring
TC	An AOT analogue, based on trans-aconitic acid
Triton X-100	Nonionic surfactant 2-[4-(2,4,4-trimethylpentan-2-yl)phenoxy]ethanol
Vn	Vinyl group, respectively
W/O	Water-in -oil emulsion or microemulsion
αmic	Degree of the surfactant counter-ion dissociation
ΔG0ads	Gibbs free energy of surfactant adsorption at the water/air interface
ΔG0mic	Gibbs free energy of micelle formation
ΔH0mic	Enthalpy of micelle formation
ΔS0mic	Entropy of micelle formation
γcmc	Surface tension at cmc
Γcmc	Surface pressure at cmc
Πcmc	Surface excess concentration at the interface
μE	Microemulsion