Synthesis and Surface Activities Screening of a Multifunctional Cationic Surfactant

Quaternary ammonium cationic surfactants are widely employed in pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries and in many applications. To develop new functional quaternary ammonium cationic surfactant, a new cationic surfactant 2-Hydroxy-3(Ethyl Glycolate)-N,N-Dimethylpropan Aminium Chloride (HECA) was synthesized and characterized. The conditions of in the quaternization reaction were investigated in cluding the temperature, reaction time, and molar r atio. The Critical Micelle Concentration (CMC) and foamability and foam stability were evaluated, and the results showed that it reaches to 32.1 mN/m at the concentration of 1◊10-3 mol/L, the minimum surface tension was around 28.9 mN/m beyond 1◊10-2 mol/L. The foam foamability and foam stability measurement are consistent with those of CMC. The structure of the foam was investigated as well.