POLYMERIC SURFACTANTS OF HIGH-PERFORMANCE

Polymeric surfactants are the kind of polymers with the average molecu lar weight 10(3)-10(5) as well as the kind of surface active substance s which can decrease obviously the surface tension on the air-water su rface. It was found that end-capped polyethylene oxides (PEO) were ver y active polymeric surfactants, where one or two terminal groups of PE O were replaced with perfluoroalkyl group (perfluorodecanoyl). Their n umber-averaged molecular weights were in the range of 3 000-16 000. Wh en concentration of aqueous solutions for these perfluoroarkyl end-cap ped PEO was in the range of 0.4%-1% (percentage by weight), the surfac e tension of their aqueous solutions decreases as low as 15 mN . m(-1) which is the best value of the surface activity for polymeric surfact ants up to now. The molecular picture for the adsorption of perfluoroa lkyl end-capped PEO was presented briefly.