Synthesis and surface activity of phenylselenide-1-undecyl trimthylamonium bromide

Abstract

Selenium-containing surfactant has aroused considerable attention due to its unique chemical properties, especially environmental sensitivity. Here we synthesized a Se-containing cationic surfactant, phenylselenide-1-undecyl trimethylammonium bromide (PSeTAB), and studied its Krafft temperature (TK), equilibrium/dynamic surface tension, and foam properties. The results showed that with the addition of H2O2, the hydrophobic selenide group in PSeTAB was oxidized to a hydrophilic selenoxide structure, providing another polar head, and thus producing a larger geometry. As a result, PSeTAB-Ox exhibited a stronger affinity to water, lowering the TK, tendency toward micellization and adsorption (higher cmc, less negative and ), dynamic surface activity (smaller ) and diffusion coefficients, compared to PSeTAB. Macroscopically, PSeTAB showed relatively good foaming properties, while PSeTAB-Ox has hardly any foaming ability.