Synthesis and surface-active property of bis-quaternary ammonium-sodium sulfate Gemini surfactant

N,N-dimethyldodecylamine, hydrochloride and epichlorohydrin (molar ration is 2:1:1) were used to synthesize bis-quaternary ammonium Gemini surfactant with a hydroxyl in its spacer group by the one-pot method. This hydroxyl was sulfonated by chlorosulfonic acid and then neutralized to bis-quaternary ammonium-sodium sulfate zwitterionic Gemini surfactant. The yield of the final product was 78%, and the melting point was 231–233°C. Its structure was characterized by IR, ¹H-NMR, MS, and elemental analyses. The critical micelle concentration (cmc) and surface tension of the novel zwitterionic Gemini surfactant in aqueous solution at 15°C are 7.2×10⁻⁵ mol/L and 34.5 mN/m, respectively. __________ Translated from Journal of Wuhan University (Natural Science Edision), 2005, 51(6) (in Chinese)