Within the last decade N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands have been widely recognised for their numerous catalytic applications. However, despite their widespread use as ligands and in catalysis (>10,000 publications) there has been slow development in other fields, with the materials properties of these important systems virtually unexplored. As a surfactant, this system performs classically, forming micelles and microemulsion systems, the latter with a very high organic phase capacity (e.g. > 20wt. % toluene). Performing transition metal promoted catalytic reactions under biphasic conditions has several advantages over conventional single phase catalysis in organic solvents, including alternative methods of catalyst recovery (e.g. foam floatation) from the products and use of environmentally benign aqueous systems. Here. we wish to study these important new surfactants.