Properties of Glucosamide-Based Tetrasiloxane Surfactants

Abstract

The interfacial properties of new glucosamide-based tetrasiloxane surfactants were studied. Members of the glucosamide-based tetrasiloxane surfactants reduce the surface tension of water to approximately 21 mN · m⁻¹ at concentration levels of 10⁻⁵ mol · L⁻¹. The wetting and spreading behavior of the glucosamide-based tetrasiloxane surfactants on Teflon and Paraffin were investigated and compared with that of trisiloxane. A new glucosamide-based tetrasiloxane β shows the best spreading ability both on Teflon and Paraffin, which is similar with that of trisiloxane. It is suggested that a lower surface tension is a necessary but not sufficient condition for enhanced spreading. The spreading performance was affected by the hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) significantly. Furthermore, the molecular structure of the surfactant and the hydrophobic substrate also play important roles for showing spreading behavior.

Keywords:

• Glucosamide
• spreading
• surface tension
• tetrasiloxane

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the financial support of the Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 21073234, 21103228), the Natural Science Foundation of Shanxi Province (Grant No. 2010011017), and the Shanxi Province Youth Fund (Grant No. 2009021012).

Notes

^a The abbreviations use the common notation for silicone polymers (M˭Me₃SiO,T˭RSiO_3/2).