Surfactants, also known as wetting agents, lower the surface tension of a liquid, allowing easier spreading, and the interfacial
tension between two liquids. The term surfactant is a contraction of "Surface active agent". Surfactants are usually organic compounds
that
are amphipathic, meaning they contain both hydrophobic groups (their "tails") and hydrophilic groups (their "heads").
Therefore,
they are typically sparingly soluble in both organic solvents and water.
