AI Article Synopsis

  • 2-Ethylhexanol, though not typically used in surfactant production due to its weak hydrophobic nature, has been re-evaluated for its potential after undergoing propoxylation and ethoxylation, leading to the formation of a unique amphiphilic structure.
  • The study compares surfactants derived from 2-EH using different catalysts, revealing that those made with dimetalcyanide catalysts show superior interfacial activity, as demonstrated through various surface tension and contact angle tests.
  • Results indicate that these newly synthesized surfactants not only outperform traditional formulations in terms of adsorption behavior and diffusivity but also hold significant promise for practical applications as effective wetting agents, particularly on polymer surfaces.

Article Abstract

2-ethylhexanol, an oxo alcohol competitively priced on the global market, has not been explored intensively as a raw material for surfactants, due to its weak hydrophobic character. However, its sequenced propoxylation and ethoxylation yield an innovative amphiphilic structure, which exhibits unique interfacial activity. The paper presents the differences in the fractional composition of innovative surfactants derived from 2-EH alcohol prepared using alkali and dimetalcyanide catalysts, as well as examples of excellent adsorption and interfacial properties of the latter. The adsorption behavior of the synthesized compounds was explored using equilibrium surface tension (the du Noüy ring method), dynamic surface tension (the maximum gas bubble pressure method) and static/dynamic contact angle (the sessile drop method). The results from the adsorption tests conducted at the air/aqueous surfactant solution interface underwent comprehensive qualitative and quantitative analyses. Moreover, based on the experimentally obtained dynamic surface tension isotherms and the developed algorithm, the diffusion coefficients for these preparations were estimated, and it was shown that the diffusivity of these surfactants is higher compared to the commercial formulations. The study's outcomes in the testing of wettability indicate that new synthesized nonionic and anionic surfactants constitute an interesting group of amphiphiles with a wide application potential as effective wetting agents, especially in relation to the polymer surface. It should therefore be emphasized that the innovative surfactants described in this article, derived from 2-EH alcohol and prepared using dimetalcyanide catalysts, can successfully compete with conventional preparations such as ABS (Dodecylbenzenesulfonic Acid) or AES (Alcohol Ethoxysulphate) acid salts.

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Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10856559PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/molecules29030690DOI Listing

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