Cationic Trimeric Surfactants with Quaternary Ammonium Salts

Abstract

Recently, we pay attention to trimeric surfactants with three alkyl chains and three quaternary ammonium headgroups in a molecule, and have been researching. Only a few reports are available with regard to research on trimeric surfactants. This review describes design and synthesis, properties such as critical micelle concentration and surface tension, etc., and nanostructures of micelles formed in aqueous solution for star-type cationic trimeric surfactants with tris(2-aminoethyl)amine in spacer and linear-type cationic trimeric surfactants with flexible spacers such as ethylene and propylene, and rigid spacers such as trans-butenylene and m- and p-xylylene.