Hybrid fluorocarbon/hydrocarbon surfactants

In this review, the latest research on surfactants having both a fluorocarbon chain and a hydrocarbon chain in their molecules, namely hybrid surfactants, is described. Novel anionic, cationic and nonionic surfactants have been recently synthesized. Anionic hybrid surfactants with an ethylene spacer, F(CF2)mC2H4CH(OSO3Na)(CH2)nH, can be prepared in high yields although the synthetic yields for hybrid surfactants are generally very low. For anionic or nonionic surfactants, their critical micelle concentrations (cmc's) follow Kleven's rule and the surface tension at the cmc is almost the same as that for general fluorocarbon surfactants. One of the anionic hybrid surfactants forms aqueous micelles with unusually long lifetimes and another surfactant yields an aqueous solution having thermoresponsive viscosity. Hybrid surfactants would also be good emulsifiers for water-in-supercritical CO2 microemulsion and water-in-fluorocarbon emulsion whereas they can give hydro- and lypohobic properties onto hydroxyapatite surfaces. Hybrid surfactants would be prospective chemicals in industrial, medical and dental fields.