Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, Vol.585, 808-819, 2021
Salt-tolerance of alkyl-glyceryl ether carboxylates hydrotropes and surfactants. Dramatic effect of the methylation of the glyceryl spacer
Hypothesis: The insertion of polyether spacers between the anionic head and the alkyl chain of ionic surfactants significantly improves their salt-tolerance. The aim of this work is to study whether the petro-based polyethoxy spacer can be replaced by a glyceryl ether group for high salinity applications. Experiments: A series of amphiphilic sodium salts of alkyl glyceryl ether carboxylates are synthesized with different alkyl chain lengths from 4 to 12 and various spacers between the glyceryl and the carboxylate groups. Their aggregation behavior is studied by tensiometry and their amphiphilicities are assessed by the PIT-slope method. The dramatic effect of the methylation of the glyceryl spacer on the salt-tolerance is highlighted, and rationalized by DFT calculations and molecular dynamics. Findings: In contrast to the corresponding sodium soap, n-C6H13-CO2Na, and to the non-methylated counterpart, the sodium salt of 1-pentyl-3-methyl glyceryl ether methylene carboxylate ([5.0.1]-CH2CO2Na) exhibits an excellent salt-tolerance since it remains water-soluble with NaCl or CaCl2 concentrations greater than 20 wt% at 25 degrees C. Amphiphiles with short alkyl chains (