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Constructing Gemini-Like Surfactants with Single-Chain Surfactant and Dicarboxylic Acid Sodium Salts

  • Original Article
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Journal of Surfactants and Detergents

Abstract

Construction of gemini-like surfactants using the cationic single-chain surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide C16H33N(CH3)3Br2 (CTAB) and the anionic dicarboxylic acid sodium salt NaOOC(CH2) n-2COONa (C n Na2, n = 4, 6, 8, 10, 12) by way of non-covalent interactions has been investigated by surface tension measurements, hydrogen-1 nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) spectroscopy and isothermal titration microcalorimetry (ITC). The critical micelle concentrations (cmc) of the CTAB/C n Na2 mixtures are obviously lower than that of CTAB and strongly depend on the mixing ratio. Moreover, the cmc values of the CTAB/C n Na2 mixtures decrease gradually with an increasing methylene chain length of C n Na2, indicating hydrophobic interaction between the hydrocarbon chains of CTAB and C n Na2 facilitates micellization of the mixtures. In particular, the ITC curves and 1H NMR spectra indicate that the binding ratio of CTAB to C n Na2, except C4Na2, is around 2:1, i.e., (CTAB)2C n Na2. Additionally, CTAB/C n Na2 mixtures are soluble in a whole molar ratio and concentration ranges have been studied, even at the electrical neutralization point. Therefore, these results reveal that highly soluble gemini-like surfactants are conveniently constructed with oppositely-charged cationic single-chain surfactants and dicarboxylic acid sodiums. In an attempt at improving the performance of surfactants this work provides guidance for choosing additives that form gemini-like surfactants via an uncomplicated synthesis.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful for financial supports from Chinese Academy of Sciences and National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grants 21025313, 21321063).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Colloid and Interface Science, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, People’s Republic of China

    Yongqiang Tang, Ruijuan Wang & Yilin Wang

Authors
  1. Yongqiang Tang
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  2. Ruijuan Wang
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  3. Yilin Wang
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Correspondence to Yilin Wang.

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Tang, Y., Wang, R. & Wang, Y. Constructing Gemini-Like Surfactants with Single-Chain Surfactant and Dicarboxylic Acid Sodium Salts. J Surfact Deterg 18, 25–31 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11743-014-1632-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11743-014-1632-z

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