Abstract
The use of gemini surfactants, instead of conventional monomeric ones, allows for the reduction of the total consumption of surfactants in chemical products owing to their excellent adsorption and molecular association capabilities in aqueous media. Nevertheless, the number of commercially available gemini surfactants is very limited. This is mainly because the costs associated with the synthesis and purification of gemini surfactants are prohibitive. In order to facilitate the widespread use of the gemini surfactants in a variety of applications, the development of low-cost strategies for the synthesis and purification is essential. Recently, we have developed oleic acid-based gemini surfactants using the reduced cost strategy. In this short review, we introduce the surfactants from the standpoints of their development backgrounds, syntheses, interfacial properties, and potential applications.
