Anionic surfactants and washing and cleaning agents containing same

A mixture of anionic surfactant of general formula (I) and anionic surfactant of general formula (II),

• in which R represents hydrogen or a linear or branched alkyl, alkenyl, alkylaryl or alkenylaryl group having 5 to 25 C atoms, n represents a number from 1 to 21 and m represents a number from 0 to 20, wherein the sum of n and m is less than 22, and X+ represents a charge-balancing cation, obtainable by reacting a mixture of 3-hydroxymethylcyclopentanol monoalcoholates having secondary and primary alcoholate functions with an electrophilic alkyl, alkenyl, alkylaryl or alkenylaryl derivative and subsequent sulfation with a sulfating agent and optionally neutralization.

A method for preparing an anionic surfactant of general formula (I) or general formula (II) or a mixture thereof,

• in which R represents hydrogen or a linear or branched alkyl, alkenyl, alkylaryl or alkenylaryl group having 5 to 25 C atoms, n represents a number from 1 to 21 and m represents a number from 0 to 20, wherein the sum of n and m is less than 22, and X+ represents a charge-balancing cation in which R represents hydrogen or a linear or branched alkyl, alkenyl, alkylaryl or alkenylaryl group having 5 to 25 C atoms, n represents a number from 1 to 21 and m represents a number from 0 to 20, wherein the sum of n and m is less than 22, and X+ represents a charge-balancing cation, by reacting a 3-hydroxymethylcyclopentanol monoalcoholate with an electrophilic alkyl, alkenyl, alkylaryl or alkenylaryl derivative, and subsequent sulfation with a sulfating agent and optionally neutralization by subsequent reaction with X+OH, X+HCO−3 or X+2CO2−3, wherein X+ represents an alkali metal cation or a grouping N+R1R2R3, in which R1, R2 and R3 represent, independently of one another, hydrogen, an alkyl group having 1 to 6 C atoms or a hydroxyalkyl group having 2 to 6 C atoms.

A washing or cleaning agent containing an anionic surfactant of general formula (I) or general formula (II) or a mixture thereof,

• in which R represents hydrogen or a linear or branched alkyl, alkenyl, alkylaryl or alkenylaryl group having 5 to 25 C atoms, n represents a number from 1 to 21 and m represents a number from 0 to 20, wherein the sum of n and m is less than 22, and X+ represents a charge-balancing cation.