The thermodynamic properties of the aqueous solutions of dodecyldimethylethylarmuonium bromide (DEDAB) were determined as a function of concentration by means of direct methods. Dilution enthalpies at 298 and 313 K, densities and sound velocities at 298 K were measured, allowing the determination of apparent and partial molar enthalpies, volumes, heat capacities and compressibilities. Changes in thermodynamic quantities upon micellization were derived using a pseudo-phase transition approach. These data allow for the determination of the effect of the -CH2- group, when added to the polar head of alkyltrimethylammonium bromides. The properties mainly affected by this addition are the enthalpies and, as a consequence, the entropies. The lowering of the charge density on the quaternary nitrogen due to the inductive effect of the ethyl group, greater than that of the methyl one, raises the plateau value of apparent and molar enthalpy by a quantity similar to that due to the removing of a methylene group from the hydrophobic chain. This effect does not play a great role in the value of the cmc (i.e. on the free energy of micelle formation), since the small decrease in cmc of DEDAB compared to DTAB reflects the increase in the overall hydrophobicity of the molecule. Volumes of DEDAB are greater than those of DTAB by about 15 cm(3) mol(-1), both at infinite dilution and at micellar phase, a value in agreement with that generally accepted for a methylene group. The trends of apparent molar heat capacities and compressibilities vs in are the same as for DTAB: in fact, these quantities are related to the number of water molecules involved in the hydrophobic processes in solution, not very greatly affected by the substitution of a methyl group by an ethyl one on the polar head. In summary, this Substitution affects to a significant extent the first derivatives of the free energy, but does not affect the second derivatives. (c) 2006 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.