Functional polythiiranes 7: Surface activity of polythiiranes with PEO side chains

 Some comb-like polythiiranes with PEO side chains were prepared from the corresponding macromonomers. These new materials are amphiphiles and act as surfactants. Their surface tension and interfacial tension are measured and studied in this paper on account of their structures. The lowering of surface tension measured in polymers bearing methyl terminal group in PEO side chains, are in the same range as these observed with polymers of identical structures but different main chains. An increase of the hydrophobic units in the main chain, obtained in copolymers with methylthiirane does not significantly modified the surface tensions. Better lowering is afforded with structures bearing large alkyl groups as terminal group of PEO side chains. On the contrary, some of these macro-molecules with an optimized EO content largely lower the water/xylene surface tension. The main interest of these new materials is their very low cmc and the stabilization of L₁-type microemulsions. Received: 20 May 1997 Accepted: 25 November 1997