Recent Advances in the Synthesis of Sulfonate Gemini Surfactants

Abstract

Sulfonated Gemini surfactants are a relatively new class of anion surfactants, composed of 2 or more sulfonated surfactant monomers connected by a spacer at or near the head groups through a covalent bond. In general, the sulfonated Gemini surfactants show better properties compared to conventional anionic surfactants including better surface activity, a lower critical micelle concentration, enhanced detergency, excellent compatibility with other surfactants, and better solubility in high ionic strength systems. This article reviews the synthesis of the sulfonated Gemini surfactants using different raw materials. Based on the existing information in the literature, new ideas are proposed for the synthesis and application of the sulfonated Gemini surfactants.

Progress in research of sulfobetaine surfactants used in tertiary oil recovery

“…The sulfonic acid group and internal salt structure of sulfobetaine surfactant determine its stable properties, good temperature and salt tolerance, so it is expected to be used in oil displacement at high‐temperature and high‐salinity reservoirs (Zhou et al, 2017; Zhou, Bu, et al, 2018; Zhou, Chen, et al, 2018; Zhou, Liang, & Jia, 2018; Zhou, Zhang, et al, 2018). At the same time, sulfobetaine surfactants have excellent compatibility which can greatly reduce the chromatographic separation effect (the increase in interfacial tension value is due to the mismatch of polymer and surfactant concentration because of the difference of formation rock adsorption) when it is mixed with nonionic surfactants and/or polymers (Guo et al, 2018; Jiang et al, 2014; Kamal et al, 2016).…”

“…A series of dual hydroxyl sulfobetaine surfactants with different carbon chain lengths (C 8 SB, C 10 SB, C 12 SB, C 14 SB and C 16 SB) were synthesized by using linear saturated alcohol, epichlorohydrin and dimethylamine (Zhou, Bu, et al, 2018; Zhou, Chen, et al, 2018; Zhou, Liang, & Jia, 2018; Zhou, Zhang, et al, 2018). The synthesis routes are shown in Figure 8.…”

“…Gemini surfactants have much better surface activities and more remarkable efficiency than conventional surfactants, which are expected to obviously reduce surface tension, have much smaller cmc values, better aggregation behavior, lower Krafft points, and enhance water solubility (Zhou, Bu, et al, 2018; Zhou, Chen, et al, 2018; Zhou, Liang, & Jia, 2018; Zhou, Zhang, et al, 2018). For Gemini sulfobetaine surfactants, the IFT of oil/water can be ultralow in the presence or absence of a weak alkali (Chen et al, 2018; Jiang et al, 2014; Zhou et al, 2015).…”

“…The synthesized conditions were optimized: the molar ratio of tertiary amine intermediate to 1,3‐propanesulfonic acid lactone was 1:2.3, the reaction temperature was 70°C, and the reaction time was 11 h. The foaming volume of the prepared surfactant reached 710 ml, and the half‐life reached 393 s. The synthesized products had good foam properties and compatibility under high‐salt conditions. 3‐chloro‐2‐hydroxypropanesulfonic acid sodium was used to prepare a new Gemini sulfobetaine surfactant with four hydroxyl groups between the cation and anion groups (Zhou, Bu, et al, 2018, Zhou, Chen, et al, 2018, Zhou, Liang, & Jia, 2018, Zhou, Zhang, et al, 2018). The synthetic routes of the four hydroxyl sulfobetaine surfactants are shown in Figure 15.…”

Gemini Surfactants Virtual Issue

“…In this special collection of articles (available online on the Journal’s website), recent work on new Gemini surfactants is presented. Zhou et al () have reviewed the synthesis of anionic Gemini surfactants containing sulfonate groups and zwitterionic Gemini surfactants (Zhou et al, ) containing anionic and cationic groups in the same molecule. The same group (Zhou et al, ) has reported on novel switchable tertiary amine Gemini surfactants whose properties can be regulated by bubbling CO 2 or N 2 into solution.…”