What are surfactants?

Surfactants are chemical compounds that play a crucial role in reducing the surface tension between different substances, such as two liquids, a liquid and a solid, or a gas and a liquid. They are organic compounds known for their amphiphilic nature, meaning they have both hydrophobic (water-repelling) and hydrophilic (water-attracting) parts. A common example is detergent. When detergent is added to a liquid, the surface tension is reduced which then increases the spreading and wetting properties of the surfactant.