Study of interactions between octyl-β-d-glucopyranoside and the hydroxyethyl-cellulose biopolymer in aqueous solution

•Interactions in mixed micelles to be used as drug carriers were studied.•We tested this system to nanoencapsulate the metronidazole as a drug model.•Characteristic concentrations for the micelle formation process were obtained.•The micelles formation in all cases is spontaneous, and entropy driven.•Thermodynamic properties of demicellization for the mixed micelles were determined.