Description:
AbstractNonionic surfactants having polydisperse polyoxyethylene chains and highly fluorinated hydrophobes were synthesized via a complex reaction route and their adsorption at water/air interfaces studied. They exhibit high surface activity and decrease both effectively and efficiently the surface tension of their aqueous solutions. The effect of the length of the polyoxyethylene chain upon surfactant surface activity is relatively low. Lower values of surface tension, below 30 mN m−1, are obtained for surfactants having a low degree of ethoxylation. Surfactants having two terminal highly fluorinated hydrophobes are less surface active than analogues with one terminal hydrophobe.