The phase diagram of the ternary system CTAB/1,6-hexanediol/water was obtained at 25.0 +/- 0.1 degreesC. The system shows a clear, isotropic, and low-viscosity region, the L phase, and a liquid-crystalline phase characterized as hexagonal phase H1. The L phase was characterized by conductivity and steady-state fluorescence quenching measurements in order to determine the kind of aggregate that exists in this region. The basic hydrolysis of crystal violet was also studied in the L phase. Both the L phase properties and the phase diagram indicate the 1,6-hexanediol behaves as a short-chain alkanol. Copyright 1998 Academic Press.