Study on the synthesis and properties of Gemini surfactant with ester spacers

Ruiyao Dai; Jie Shen; Hujun Xu

doi:10.1515/tsd-2024-2637

Article

Study on the synthesis and properties of Gemini surfactant with ester spacers

Ruiyao Dai
Ruiyao Dai is a postgraduate at the School of Chemical and Material Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, P.R. China.
, Jie Shen
Jie Shen is an associate professor. She received her Ph.D. degree from Jiangnan University, P.R. China in 2008. Her research focuses on the synthesis and application of chemicals.
and Hujun Xu
Hujun Xu is a professor. He received his PhD degree in 2005 from Nanjing University of Science and Technology, P.R. China. He has been engaged in surfactants and detergents for over 30 years. He has published more than 70 papers in the field of surfactants and detergents.

Published/Copyright: January 30, 2025

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From the journal Tenside Surfactants Detergents Volume 62 Issue 2

Abstract

A group of cationic Gemini surfactants with ester spacers, C₁₂-E₂-C₁₂, C₁₆-E₂-C₁₆, C₁₈-E₂-C₁₈, were synthesized and confirmed by IR, ¹H NMR and MS. The surface parameters of the synthesized Gemini surfactants including: the critical micelle concentration (CMC), the surface tension value at CMC (γ_CMC), efficiency (pC₂₀), maximum surface excess (Γ_max) and minimum surface area (A_min), were obtained from surface tension measurements. These Gemini surfactants showed higher surface activity than the traditional monomeric surfactants. The thermodynamic parameters of the micellization process from conductivity measurements showed that the micellization was a spontaneous and exothermic process, and the micellization process became less favorable with decreasing alkyl chain length and increasing temperature. The micro polarity was evaluated from steady-state fluorescence spectra. It was found that the micelle aggregation number of C_n-E₂-C_n aqueous solution gradually increased with the increase of alkyl chain.

Keywords: Gemini surfactants; cationic surfactants; ester spacers; surface activity properties; thermodynamic parameters

Corresponding author: Jie Shen, School of Chemical and Material Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, 214122, P.R. China, E-mail: shenjie@jiangnan.edu.cn

About the authors

Ruiyao Dai

Ruiyao Dai is a postgraduate at the School of Chemical and Material Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, P.R. China.

Jie Shen

Jie Shen is an associate professor. She received her Ph.D. degree from Jiangnan University, P.R. China in 2008. Her research focuses on the synthesis and application of chemicals.

Hujun Xu

Hujun Xu is a professor. He received his PhD degree in 2005 from Nanjing University of Science and Technology, P.R. China. He has been engaged in surfactants and detergents for over 30 years. He has published more than 70 papers in the field of surfactants and detergents.

Acknowledgments

Thank you to my mentor Hujun Xu and Jie Shen for their careful guidance. I would like to express my gratitude to my colleague Xuze Liu, Chenqiang Hu, and fellow laboratory mates for their assistance during the experimental process. Special thanks to the instructors of various testing instruments for their patient guidance during my experiments.

Research ethics: In the research of this study, no human and animal subjects were used.
Informed consent: Not applicable.
Author contributions: Ruiyao Dai: Experimental design, experiment execution, data collection and analysis, figure creation, manuscript writing. Jie Shen: Experimental design, review and editing. Hujun Xu: Technical support, review and editing.
Use of Large Language Models, AI and Machine Learning Tools: None declared.
Conflict of interest: The authors state no conflict of interest.
Research funding: None declared.
Data availability: Not applicable.

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Supplementary Material

This article contains supplementary material (https://doi.org/10.1515/tsd-2024-2637).

Received: 2024-11-04

Accepted: 2024-12-27

Published Online: 2025-01-30

Published in Print: 2025-03-26

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Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/tsd-2024-2637

Keywords for this article

Gemini surfactants; cationic surfactants; ester spacers; surface activity properties; thermodynamic parameters