Synthesis and properties of ethoxylated vicinal diol nonionic surfactants with double hydrophilic head groups

A series of nonionic surfactants with double hydrophilic head groups was synthesized from ethoxylation of aliphatic 1,2-vicinal diols (C8, C10, and C12) with ethylene oxide, and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1HNMR). Compared with linear primary alcohols, the lower residual alcohol content of the products indicates that the ethoxylation activity of the 1,2-vicinal diols was higher. The physicochemical properties and surface properties of the vicinal diol polyoxyethylene surfactant (DCjEn) were studied. The DCjEn surfactants reduced the pure water surface tension to ~ 30 mN m−1 with low critical micelle concentration variations of ~ 0.32–0.92 mmol L−1. The surfactant wettability was superior to that of typical commercial surfactant fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ether (AEO9). A higher foamability and stronger foam stability that is comparable with that of widely used commodities, fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ether sulfate (AES) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), were the remarkable properties of the DCjEn for a C12 alkyl chain length. With regards to functional properties, these novel nonionic surfactants can be used as primary surfactants in personal-care products.