Derivatives of glutamic acid as new surfactants

Starting from glutamic acid, different types of surfactants have been synth esised by using original trimodular strategies. Monosubstituted zwitterioni c amides of glutamic acid obtained with excellent yields show good surface activity. The grafting of a second hydrophobic side-chain leads to bicatenar cationic surfactants or to disubstituted nonionic cyclic compounds. In order to red uce the hydrophobic character of the bicatenar surfactants, a second synthe tic method has been developed, allowing the introduction of a polar sugar g roup into these molecules. The surfactant properties of several of the products have been determined b y physico-chemical methods such as surface tension measurements and compres sion isotherm studies by means of a Langmuir balance.