Monodisperse perfluoro-polyethoxylated amphiphilic compounds with two-chain polar head - Preparation and properties

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0040-4020(01)90499-5

Monodisperse new surfactant molecules with a two-chain polyoxyethylene (EO) hydrophilic head and a perfluoroalkyl hydrophobic moiety linked together through an amide bond are synthesized by methods allowing large-scale production. Surface tension measurements (γ ~ 20 mN·m^-1) show slow organization of the surfactant film at the water/air interface for longer fluorocarbon tail. Values of critical micellar concentrations and comparisons with monosubstituted amide surfactants are consistent with a high hydrophilicity of the amide function, a small influence of branching over hydrophilicity, and a hydrophobicity of each CF₂ unit equivalent to 1.7 methylenes (in the analogous hydrogenated surfactants).