Shamrock surfactants and their methods of use
AssigneeUniversity of Wyoming
InventorDavid Jaeger
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed are surfactants that contain two ionic or polar nonionic head groups, each connected to a central ionic head group by a hydrocarbon linking moiety. The central head group is a dithiophosphate, dithiocarbamate, or quaternary ammonium group. These surfactants have potential applications in chemical decontamination of mustard (simulants), storage and release devices/chemical switches and the remediation of heavy-metal ion-contaminated water.
Claims16
A surfactant compound of the formula:
- [X-L-Z-L′-X′] (A)p,
- wherein X and X′ represent outer head groups, which may be the same or different and comprise charged moieties selected from the group of —N+R1R2R3, R1, R2 and R3 being the same or different and representing hydrocarbyl groups, —CO2− or —O(CH2)mSO3−, m being an integer from 2 to 30, or polar moieties of the formula, —O—(CH2CH2O)n—R4, R4 being hydrogen or a C1-C6 hydrocarbyl group and n is an integer from 1 to 1000;
- L and L′ are the same or different and represent a hydrocarbon linking moiety which may optionally be interrupted with oxygen;
- Z represents a central head group selected from a dithiophosphate moiety,
- a dithiocarbamate moiety,
- or a quaternary ammonium moiety,
- wherein R5 and R6 are the same or different and represent C1-C6 hydrocarbyl groups, with the proviso that when Z represents said dithiocarbamate moiety or said quaternary ammonium moiety, X and X′ do not represent NR1R2R3, and with the further proviso that X and X′ do not represent —O(CH2)mSO3− unless Z represents said quaternary ammonium moiety;
- and A represents a counter ion, which may be either positive or negative depending on the net charge of [X-L-Z-L′-X′] and p is an integer which, when multiplied by the valency of said counter ion yields the absolute value of the net charge of [X-L-Z-L′-X′].
A process for removing heavy metal ions from a liquid medium containing said ions, said process comprising adding to said liquid medium a surfactant compound of the formula:
- [X-L-Z-L′-X′] (A)p,
- wherein X and X′ represent outer head groups, which may be the same or different and comprise charged moieties selected from the group of —N+R1R2R3, R1, R2 and R3 being the same or different and representing hydrocarbyl groups, —CO2− or —O(CH2)mSO3−, m being an integer from 2 to 30, or polar moieties of the formula —O—(CH2CH2O)n—R4, R4 being hydrogen or a C1-C6 alkyl group and n is an integer from 1 to 1000;
- L and L′ are the same or different and represent a hydrocarbon linking moiety which may optionally be interrupted with oxygen and Z represents a central head group selected from a dithiophosphate moiety,
- a dithiocarbamate moiety,
- or a quaternary ammonium moiety,
- wherein R5 and R6 are the same or different and represent C1-C6 hydrocarbyl groups, with the proviso that when Z represents said dithiocarbamate moiety, X and X′ do not represent NR1R2R3, and with the further proviso that X and X′ do not represent —O(CH2)SO3− unless Z represents said quaternary ammonium moiety;
- and A represents a counter ion, which may be either positive or negative depending on the net charge of [X-L-Z-L′-X′] and p is an integer which, when multiplied by the valency of said counter ion yields the absolute value of the net charge of [X-L-Z-L′-X′], said surfactant compound being added to said liquid medium in an amount effective to form aggregates comprising said surfactant compound complexed with said heavy metal ions;
- and filtering said liquid medium to separate said aggregates from said liquid medium.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.