Synthesis and Solution Chemistry of Dimeric Surface Active Agents - Enhancement of Surface Activity, Solubilization, and Rheology.

在过去的几十年里，表面活性剂（简称表面活性剂）在化学应用中的应用已经获得了显著的和不同的兴趣。表面活性剂除了作为洗涤剂和乳化剂的常用用途外，还被用作纳米颗粒合成的反应介质，用于改善药物输送系统，以及用于新型高性能油漆和涂料。通常，表面活性剂由一个疏水尾部（通常是碳氢化合物）和一个强极性或离子头基组成。在过去的6年里，我们在StFX大学的NSERC发现资助（DG）项目已经合成了含有多个头基（所谓的gemini和其他多头表面活性剂）的新型两亲分子，利用了多种构建模块（例如季戊四醇和氨基酸）。该项目的积极研究成果是表面活性剂结构的化学改性与表面活性剂溶液性能的变化之间存在联系。该实验室目前正在合成具有优异的硬水耐受性（无皂渣，在硬水中起泡能力好）和优异的洗涤剂/乳化性能的表面活性剂，这是本研究的结果。

The use of surfactants (short for surface-active-agents) in chemical applications has gained significant and varied interest over the last few decades. In addition to their common use as detergents and emulsifiers, surfactants have been employed as a reaction medium for the synthesis of nanoparticles, improved drug delivery systems, and in new high-performance paints and coatings. Conventionally, surfactants consist of a single hydrophobic tail (generally a hydrocarbon) and a strongly polar or ionic headgroup. Over the past 6 years, our NSERC Discovery Grants (DG) program at StFX University has synthesized novel amphiphiles containing multiple headgroups (so-called gemini and other multi-headed surfactants), utilizing versatile building blocks (e.g., pentaerythritol and amino acids). Positive research outcomes from this program are the link that exists between the chemical modification of the surfactant structure and the change in the solution performance of the surfactant that results. This lab is currently synthesizing surfactants that have superior hard water tolerance (no soap scum and good foaming ability in hard water) and excellent detergency/emulsification properties as a result of this research. Projects undertaken in this lab fall into one or more of the following themes: 1. The synthesis of new surfactants; 2. A fundamental understanding of the molecular nature of the self-assembly process; 3. Applications of multi-nuclear nmr spectroscopy in probing the molecular structure of micellar systems and polymer- surfactant complexes; and 4. Microscopic examination of unusual and large surfactant assemblies formed through altering the kosmotropic-chaotropic balance in the surfactant molecules. This NSERC DG funded research will continue to investigate fundamental chemical and commercially important aspects of surfactant aggregation. An area of focus will be the synthesis of asymmetric gemini surfactants (twin-headed, twin-tailed surfactants with an unequal tail length) and related compounds, and the measurement of their solution properties. We will also determine the fundamental solution properties of mixtures of zwitterionic surfactants and gemini surfactants with other surfactants and polymers. The objectives of the program are a better understanding of surfactant chemical structure/performance by understanding the how the variation in the surfactant structure changes the subtle balance of forces responsible for their aggregation into simple, spherical micelles, worm-like micelles, and giant vesicles. UG and Masters's students working on these projects will be trained in surfactant syntheses, have hands-on experience with a 400 MHz nmr, a light scattering instrument, surface tensiometers, rheometers, will build their own ion-specific electrodes, and will be trained in a highly structured, ISO-like research environment.