Synthesis and surface activities of a novel di-hydroxyl-sulfate-betaine-type zwitterionic gemini surfactants

► We synthesized a novel sulfobetaine-type zwitterionic gemini surfactants. ► Their CMC values can be as low as 10−5 mol/dm3. ► They can decrease the surface tension of water to 22.2 mN/m. ► They preferred to adsorb at the interface to forming micelles in solution. ► The aggregates changed from vesicles to entangled fiber-like micelles as the chain length increased from 12 to 14.