Syntheses of Gemini Betaine Surfactants From α- Chlorocarboxylic Acids

Syntheses of Gemini Betaine Surfactants from α- Chlorocarboxylic Acids

 Guangming Du, Yun Fang*

School of Chemical & Material Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China

  Abstract

   The intermediate α- chlorocarboxylic acids were synthesized at first from natural fatty acids and molecular chlorine through selectively chlorinating at the α-position of fatty acids. Then the novel Gemini betaine surfactants were synthesized from α- chlorocarboxylic acids by amination with dimethylamine. The synthesis route is a simple and economical process with industrial prospects due to using cheap biomass raw material. The properties of the novel Gemini betaine surfactants showed that the oil-based Gemini betaine surfactants have excellent surface and interface activity which displayed the potential applying in the enhanced oil recovery and special cleaning on extreme conditions.

Keywords: Gemini surfactant, Zwitterionic surfactant, Betaine, Fatty acid.

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* Corresponding author: yunfang@126.com.