Aqueous solution properties of disulfide-linked fluorinated gemini and cleaved monomeric thiol surfactants.

We prepared a fluorinated gemini surfactant containing a disulfide bond in its spacer chain, [C₈F₁₇(CH₂)₃N(CH₃)₂CH₂CH₂SSCH₂CH₂N(CH₃)₂(CH₂)₃C₈F₁₇]2Cl, and its analogue with a hexamethylene spacer. Monomeric thiol surfactant, [C₈F₁₇(CH₂)₃N(CH₃)₂CH₂CH₂SH]Cl, was readily produced by the cleavage of the gemini surfactant using dithiothreitol in water. The critical micelle concentration was determined using surface tension, conductivity, and fluorescence probe methods.