Synthesis and study of the behavior of glycosylated gemini surfactants in aqueous media

Article abstract of DOI:10.1039/b104958p

The work reported herein deals with the synthesis and physico-chemical studies of a new kind of glycosylated non-ionic gemini surfactants. These compounds derive from tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane and bear hydro- or perfluorocarbon tails. The chemical structures of the spacer arm and hydrophobic tails were adjusted in order to specify their impact on the gemini surfactant behavior in aqueous media. The supramolecular systems they form were studied by TEM after negative staining. The length and the rigidity of the spacer arm seem to play a key role in the aggregation behavior of these surfactants in water. With the appropriate modifications, the formation of premicellar associations, micelles, vesicles or various aggregates can be observed.