Anionic surfactants having multiple hydrophobic and hydrophilic groups

Anionic surfactants comprising compounds of the formula:

• ##STR25## and the salts thereof wherein R.sub.1 can independently represent an alkyl, hydroxy-substituted or perfluorinated alkyl, or acyl of from about 5 to about 22 carbon atoms;
• R.sub.2 independently represents a C.sub.1 to about C.sub.10 alkylene and the hydroxy-substituted derivatives thereof, a carboxy group (--C(O)O--), a polyether group (--CH.sub.2 --(OR.sub.4).sub.x --) wherein R.sub.4 represents a C.sub.2 to about C.sub.4 alkyl and x is a number from about 1 to 100;
• R.sub.3 independently represents --S--, a polyether group (--O(R.sub.4 O).sub.x --) wherein R.sub.4 and x have been hereinbefore defined or D--R.sub.5 --D wherein D independently represents --S--, --SO.sub.2 --, --O--, --S--S--, and R.sub.5 represents a C.sub.1 to about C.sub.10 alkyl, aryl and the hydroxy-substituted derivatives thereof;
• A independently represents --CR.sub.6 wherein R.sub.6 represents a C.sub.1 to about C.sub.20 alkyl, or hydrogen and Y independently represents --SO.sub.3 M, --OSO.sub.3 M, OP(O)(OM).sub.2 --CH.sub.2 CO.sub.2 M or M, wherein M represents hydrogen, Na, K, NH.sub.3 or an organic amine with the proviso that when R.sub.2 is a carboxy (--C(O)--O), Y is M.