A temperature study was performed on micelle formation of a series of homologous cationic surfactants having organic counterions (alkanesulfonates) with carbon numbers ranging from 1 to 4 : dodecylammonium salts of methanesulfonate (DAMS), ethanesulfonate (DAES), propanesulfonate (DAPS), and butanesulfonate( DABS) in water. The critical micelle concentrations (CMCs) and the degree of counterion binding (beta) were determined at different temperatures ranging from 5 to 50 degrees C by means of conventional electric conductance measurements. From the temperature dependence of beta as well as CMC, Gibbs energy Delta G(m)(o), enthalpy Delta H-m(o), and entropy Delta S-m(o), on micelle formation, were estimated for the respective surfactants. As for the temperature dependence of CMC for these surfactants, the temperature-CMC curves have a minimum around 30 degrees C and show that the CMC at each temperature is lowered by about 3 mmol dm(-3) per methylene group in the alkyl chain of the counterions. The relationship between beta and temperature suggested that the counterion of MS(-) behaves most similarly to common univalent ions such as halide ions. In contrast, PS- and BS-, having a stronger ability to lower CMC and to promote association of surfactant ions with counterions as well as of surfactant ions themselves, behave more like those of surfactant ions, and ES(-) shows the most complicated character between those of common univalent ions and organic ions. However, the temperature dependence of enthalpy change, Delta H-m(o) demonstrates that these four surfactants are divided into two groups : (1) DAMS and DAES and (2) DAPS and DABS. In addition, the entropy change Delta S-m(o) as a function of alkyl chain length gives evidence that the contribution of the entropy term to the Gibbs energy on micelle formation clearly separates between DAES (m = 2) and DAPS (m = 3). A similar discontinuity is found even in the plot of Delta G(m)(o) versus carbon atom number of alkyl chain, m, and in the plot of Delta G(m)(o) versus estimated hydrodynamic radius of counterions. All the results obtained have indicated that lengthening the alkyl chains initially hinders micelle formation, but the longer chains are markedly effective in lowering the CMC and probably in increasing the aggregation number, owing to enhanced hydrophobic interaction between counterion and the micellar surface and/or core.