New cationic surfactants: effects of structure of the hydrophilic group on adsorption and aggregation in aqueous solutions

Author(s)

Susana Shimizu

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: São Paulo.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Conjunto das Químicas (IQ e FCF) (CQ/DBDCQ)
• Defense date: 2004-10-06

Examining board members

Omar A. EL Seoud; Mauricio da Silva Baptista; Marcelo Henrique Gehlen; Rosangela Itri; Denise Freitas Siqueira Petri

• Advisor: Omar A. El Seoud

Abstract

Two series of cationic surfactants have been synthesized: benzyl-(2acylaminoetil) dimethylammonium chlorides, RCONH(CH2)2-N+(CH3)3 Cl-, and (2-acylaminoethyl)dimethylammonium chlorides, RCONH(CH2)2-N+(CH3)2-CH2-C6H5 Cl-, where RCO refers to an acyl group with 10, 12, 14 and 16 carbon atoms. These surfactants were obtained by reacting chromatographically pure carboxylic acids with N,N-dimethylethylenediamine to give an intermediate amidoamine. The latter was quaternized with benzyl chloride or methyl iodide. Surfactants with iodide counter-ion were transformed into the corresponding chlorides by ion exchange on a macro-porous resin. The average position of micellar interface and conformation of the headgroup were studied by FTIR and NMR. A multi-technique approach has been employed in order to study the effects of the presence of the \"spacer\" group (-CONH- CH2-CH2) on the adsorption and aggregation of these surfactants. The techniques employed were: calorimetry, conductance and EMF measurements, FTIR, NMR, surface tension, and Iight scattering. Surfactants with the spacer group (CONH-CH2-CH2) have more favorable Gibbs free energies of adsorption and/or micellization due to the more favorable transfer of the head-group from bulk phase to the interface and/or the micelle. This is attributed to the formation of direct, and/or water-mediated H-bonding between the surfactant amide groups. Differences in values of ΔGºHead-group+CH3 of surfactants with and without spacer group (ΔΔGº ads Head-group+CH3 = -17.2 kJ mol-1 and ΔΔGº ads Head-group+CH3 = -5 a -7 kJ mol-1 for adsorption and/or micellization, respectively) are in agreement with weak hydrogen bonding. Additional evidence for H-bond formation and for the (average) conformation of the benzyl head-group in the micelle was provided by FTIR and NMR data. The former showed that the amide group is highly hydrated, whereas the latter showed shielding/deshielding of the methylene groups of the surfactant hydrophobic tail, in agreement with a conformation in which the benzyl group is \"bent\" toward the micellar interior. (AU)