Polymerizable and polymeric zwitterionic surfactants: 1. Synthesis and bulk properties

The synthesis of a series of permanently zwitterionic surfactant monomers based on sulphobetaines and the preparation of their polymers is described. Solubilities, thermal properties and bulk structures of the zwitterionic polymers are studied with respect to their molecular architecture, and compared with cationic analogues. The various solubilities of the polymers can be correlated with their molecular geometry, enabling differentiation into distinct classes. This behaviour is paralleled by the observed bulk structures of the polymers where distinct classes of superstructures are present. However, independently of the molecular geometry, no thermal transition could be detected for any of the zwitterionic polymers studied.