Itaconic Acid Based Surfactants: I. Synthesis and Characterization of Sodium n-Octyl Sulfoitaconate Diester Anionic Surfactant.

A novel itaconate-based surfactant, namely sodium n-octyl sulfoitaconate diester (SOSID), has been synthesized from itaconic acid (IA) and n-octanol by sulfonation and esterification reaction processes. The effects of reaction temperature, reaction time, molar ratios of n-octanol to IA and the catalyst dosage on the esterification were investigated. The chemical structure of the surfactants SOSID was characterized by means of LC-MS and confirmed by FT-IR and 1H NMR spectroscopy. The surface tension γ and the critical micelle concentration (CMC) were determined as 25.02 mN/m and 4.0 × 10-4 mol/L by using surface tensiometer at 20 °C. Further investigations showed that SOSID possess excellent wetting, emulsifying and lime soap dispersing properties.