Amphiphilic alkoxylated polyalkylene imines or alkoxylated polyamines

An alkoxylated polyalkylene imine or alkoxylated polyamine obtained by a process comprising the steps a) to d) as follows:

• a) reaction of i) at least one polyalkylene imine or at least one polyamine with ii) at least one first alkylene oxide (AO1), wherein 0.25 to 7.0 mol of alkylene oxide (AO1) is employed per mol of NH-functionality of polyalkylene imine or of polyamine, in order to obtain a first intermediate (I1),
• b) reaction of the first intermediate (I1) with at least one lactone and/or at least one hydroxy carbon acid, wherein 0.25 to 10 mol of lactone and/or of hydroxy carbon acid is employed per mol of NH-functionality of polyalkylene imine or of polyamine as employed in step a), in order to obtain a second intermediate (I2),
• c) reaction of the second intermediate (I2) with ethylene oxide, wherein 1 to 100 mol of ethylene oxide is employed per mol of NH-functionality of polyalkylene imine or of polyamine as employed in step a), in order to obtain a third intermediate (I3), and
• d) reaction of the third intermediate (I3) with at least one second alkylene oxide (AO2), wherein at least 1 mol of alkylene oxide (AO2) is employed per mol of NH-functionality of polyalkylene imine or of polyamine as employed in step a), in order to obtain the alkoxylated polyalkylene imine or the alkoxylated polyamine, and wherein the second alkylene oxide (AO2) is different to ethylene oxide in case only one second alkylene oxide (AO2) is employed in step d).
• wherein the polyamine is a linear or predominantly linear compound in respect of its backbone without consideration of any alkoxylation that contains primary or secondary amino moieties but no tertiary amino moieties within its backbone,
• wherein the polyalkylene imine is a branched or predominantly branched molecule in respect of its backbone without consideration of any alkoxylation that contains in addition to primary or secondary amino moieties mandatorily tertiary amino moieties
• wherein the alkoxylated polyalkylene imine or alkoxylated polyamine contains at least one residue according to general formula (IIa)
• in which the variables are each defined as follows:
• R1 represents C2-C22-(1,2-alkylene) radicals;
• R2 represents hydrogen and/or C1-C22-alkyl and/or C7-C22-aralkyl;
• R3 represents linear or branched C1-C22-alkylene radicals;
• R4 represents C2-C22-(1,2-alkylene) radicals;
• R5 represents 1,2-ethylene;
• m is an integer having a value of at least 1 to 10;
• n is an integer having a value of at least 5 to 100;
• o is an integer having a value of at least 1 to 100;
• and
• p is an integer having a value of at least 1 to 5;
• wherein the alkoxylated polyalkylene imine or alkoxylated polyamine further contains at least one residue according to general formula (IIb)
• in which the variables are each defined as follows:
• R1 represents C2-C22-(1,2-alkylene) radicals;
• R2 represents hydrogen and/or C1-C22-alkyl and/or C7-C22-aralkyl;
• R3 represents linear or branched C1-C22-alkylene radicals;
• R5 represents 1,2-ethylene;
• m is an integer having a value of at least 1 to 10;
• n is an integer having a value of at least 5 to 100;
• and
• o is an integer having a value of at least 1 to 100;
• wherein the alkoxylated polyalkylene imine or alkoxylated polyamine further contains at least one residue according to general formula (IIc)
• in which the variables are defined as follows:
• R1 represents C2-C22-(1,2-alkylene) radicals;
• R2 represents hydrogen or C1-C22-alkyl;
• R5 represents 1,2-ethylene;
• n is an integer having a value of at least 5 to 100;
• and
• o is an integer having a value of at least 0 to 100;
• wherein the residue (IIa) accounts for at least 80 wt.-% of all residues (IIa), (IIb) and (IIc) attached to the amino groups of the polyalkylene imine or polyamine as employed in step a).