Surfactant compositions and associated method

Abstract

A composition having a first hydrophobic moiety linked to a spacer, which is linked to a second hydrophobic moiety to form a Gemini surfactant is provided. Each hydrophobic moiety of the foregoing composition may include silicon. A method for linking a first hydrophobic moiety to a second hydrophobic moiety using a spacer to form a Gemini surfactant is provided. A pesticide having an active ingredient and a composition having a first hydrophobic moiety linked to a spacer, which is linked to a second hydrophobic moiety to form a Gemini surfactant is also provided.

1 . A composition comprising:
 a first hydrophobic moiety linked to a spacer, which is linked to a second hydrophobic moiety to form a Gemini surfactant, wherein each hydrophobic moiety comprises silicon.   
     
     
         2 . The composition as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the spacer is a hydrophilic moiety. 
     
     
         3 . The composition as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the spacer comprises one or more of a cationic group, an anionic group, a polar nonionic group, or an amphoteric group. 
     
     
         4 . The composition as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the spacer comprises one or more of an ammonium group, a carboxylic acid group, a sulfonic acid group, a sulfuric acid group, a sulfinic acid group, a phosphonic acid group, a boronic acid group, a fatty acid group, a fatty acid ester group, a peptide group, a carbohydrate group, or a polyether. 
     
     
         5 . The composition as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the first hydrophobic moiety and the second hydrophobic moiety each comprises one or more of organosilioxane groups or organosilane groups. 
     
     
         6 . The composition as defined in  claim 5 , wherein one or both of the first hydrophobic moiety or the second hydrophobic moiety comprises an organosiloxane group having a formula (IV) or (V):
   (R 2 R 3 R 4 SiO 1/2 ) 2 (R 5 R 6 SiO 2/2 ) a (R 7 SiO 2/2 )—  (IV)     (R 8 R 9 R 10 SiO 1/2 )(R 11 R 12 SiO 2/2 ) b (R 13 R 14 SiO 1/2 )—  (V)   
       wherein “a” is an integer from 0 to 50, “b” is an integer from 1 to 50, and R 2  to R 14  are independently at each occurrence a hydrogen atom, a C 1 -C 30  aliphatic radical, a C 3 -C 30  aromatic radical, or a C 3 -C 30  cycloaliphatic radical. 
     
     
         7 . The composition as defined in  claim 5 , wherein one or both of the first hydrophobic moiety or the second hydrophobic moiety comprises an organosilane group having a formula (VIII), (IX), (X) or (XI):
   (R 15 R 16 R 17 Si) 2 (R 18 R 19 Si) a (R 20 Si)—  (VIII)     (R 21 R 22 R 23 Si) b (R 24 R 25 Si) b (R 26 R 27 Si)—  (IX)     (R 28 R 29 R 30 Si) 2 (CR 31 R 32 ) a (R 33 Si)—  (X)     (R 34 R 35 R 36 Si)(CR 37 R 38 ) b (R 39 R 40 Si)—  (XI)   
       wherein “a” is independently at each occurrence an integer from 0 to 50, “b” is independently at each occurrence an integer from 1 to 50, and R 15  to R 40  are independently at each occurrence a hydrogen atom, a C 1 -C 30  aliphatic radical, a C 3 -C 30  aromatic radical, or a C 3 -C 30  cycloaliphatic radical. 
     
     
         8 . The composition as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the first hydrophobic moiety and the second hydrophobic moiety are the same. 
     
     
         9 . The composition as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the first hydrophobic moiety and the second hydrophobic moiety provide steric hindrance to a hydrolytic composition to protect the spacer from hydrolysis. 
     
     
         10 . The composition as defined in  claim 9 , wherein the spacer is hydrolytically stable in an aqueous solution at a pH in a range of from about pH 2 to about pH 7. 
     
     
         11 . The composition as defined in  claim 9 , wherein the spacer is hydrolytically stable in an aqueous solution at a pH in a range of from about pH 7 to about pH 10. 
     
     
         12 . The composition as defined in  claim 1 , wherein an aqueous solution of the composition is super-spreading at a concentration greater than about 0.1 weight percent. 
     
     
         13 . The composition as defined in  claim 12 , wherein a 10 microliter drop of the aqueous solution of the composition spreads to a diameter greater than five times as large on a hydrophobic surface as a 10 microliter drop of distilled water on the hydrophobic surface, wherein the diameter is measured 30 seconds after application of the drop to the hydrophobic surface. 
     
     
         14 . The composition as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the composition has an aqueous critical aggregation concentration in a range from about 0.001 mM to about 100 mM. 
     
     
         15 . The composition as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the composition at a concentration greater than 0.1 weight percent has an aqueous surface tension in a range from about 10 mN/m to about 40 mN/m. 
     
     
         16 . A method, comprising:
 linking a first hydrophobic moiety to a second hydrophobic moiety using a spacer to form a Gemini surfactant, wherein each hydrophobic moiety comprises silicon.   
     
     
         17 . The method as defined in  claim 16 , further comprising adding water to the Gemini surfactant to form an aqueous mixture. 
     
     
         18 . A composition comprising:
 a first hydrophobic moiety linked to a spacer, which is linked to a second hydrophobic moiety to form a Gemini surfactant, wherein each hydrophobic moiety comprises silicon,   
       wherein the first hydrophobic moiety and the second hydrophobic moiety each comprise one or more organosilioxane group or organosilane group, and 
       wherein one or both of the first hydrophobic moiety or the second hydrophobic moiety comprises an organosiloxane group having a formula (IV), (V), (VIII), (IX), (X) or (XI):
   (R 2 R 3 R 4 SiO 1/2 ) 2 (R 5 R 6 SiO 2/2 ) a (R 7 SiO 2/2 )—  (IV) 
   (R 8 R 9 R 10 SiO 1/2 )(R 11 R 12 SiO 2/2 ) b (R 13 R 14 SiO 1/2 )—  (V) 
   (R 15 R 16 R 17 Si) 2 (R 18 R 19 Si) a (R 20 Si)—  (VIII) 
   (R 21 R 22 R 23 Si)(R 24 R 25 Si) b (R 26 R 27 Si)—  (IX) 
   (R 28 R 29 R 30 Si) 2 (CR 31 R 32 ) a (R 33 Si)—  (X) 
   (R 34 R 35 R 36 Si)(CR 37 R 38 ) b (R 39 R 40 Si)—  (XI) 
 
       wherein R 2  to R 40  are independently at each occurrence a hydrogen atom, a C 1 -C 30  aliphatic radical, a C 3 -C 30  aromatic radical, or a C 3 -C 30  cycloaliphatic radical. 
     
     
         19 . The composition as defined in  claim 18 , wherein the spacer comprises one or more of an carboxylic acid group, a sulfonic acid group, a sulfuric acid group, a sulfinic acid group, a phosphonic acid group, a boronic acid group, a fatty acid group, or a fatty acid ester group. 
     
     
         20 . The composition as defined in  claim 18 , wherein the spacer comprises one or more of an ammonium group, peptide group, carbohydrate group, or polyether.