Inorganic salts usually influence water structure affecting the hydration of the molecules which lead to a salting-in or a salting-out effect of hydrophobic compounds. Specific conductivity and isothermal titration calorimetry have been used to study the effect of inorganic salts on aggregation of the cationic surfactant 1-decyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride in aqueous solutions. The effect of the concentration, the nature of the anion and temperature on micelle formation were studied. A decreasing critical micelle concentration (CMC) due to the weakening electrostatic repulsion between the headgroups was observed. The salts used in this investigation decreased the CMC and degree of micelle ionization in the order of Cl(-) < Br(-) < NO(3)(-) < I(-) which parallels the Hofmeister series of ions. The effect of the electrolyte concentration on the CMC, and a relationship between the electrolyte counter-ion concentration and the CMC were also shown. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.