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The consequences of including amide bonds into the structure of short-chain nonionic surfactants have been studied. Of particular interest were the possible effects of the hydrogen bonding ability of the amide group on the micellar shape. The aggregate structure and hydration of two different amide-containing surfactants, C₇H₁₅CO−NH−(CH₂CH₂O)₄H and C₇H₁₅CO−(NH−C₃H₆−CO)₂N(CH₃)₂, were investigated using NMR diffusometry (pulsed gradient spin echo NMR) as the main technique. Data from experiments on the surfactants, the hydrophobic probe molecule hexamethyldisilane (HMDS), and water were interpreted to gain information about the solution structures, and the results were compared to those on a previously studied alcohol ethoxylate surfactant of similar size, C₈E₄. Both of the amide-containing surfactants form small micelles within the whole investigated concentration range. At the critical …