Development of Commercially Available Gemini Surfactants

Abstract

Gemini surfactants are dimers of monomeric surfactants linked with a spacer at the level of headgroups. One of the key properties of gemini surfactants is the remarkably low critical micelle concentration (cmc) in aqueous media, which enables us to reduce the total consumption of surfactants in waterborne chemical products. Nevertheless, the number of commercially available gemini surfactants is very limited because of their serious cost problem. In order to facilitate the widespread use of gemini surfactants in a variety of applications, low-cost strategies for the synthesis and purification of gemini surfactants have been essentially required. On the basis of this background, we have recently developed oleic acid-based gemini surfactants (as cost-effective surfactants) and polymerizable gemini surfactants (as high-quality surfactants). In this review, key interfacial properties of these surfactants are presented. In addition, adsorption properties of gemini surfactants at solid/aqueous solution interfaces are reviewed.