Synthesis and evaluation of new amphiphilic polyethylene glycol-based triblock copolymer surfactants

We report in this investigation the synthesis of a new series of amphiphilic ABA-triblock copolymers consisting of double-chain hydrophobic moieties (A) of different chain lengths attached to each end of polyethylene glycols of different molecular weights (B). The identities of the prepared compounds were confirmed by elemental and Fourier transform infrared analyses. The prepared compounds showed good water solubility. Some of their surface properties, such as the critical micelle concentration, effectiveness of water surface tension reduction, surface excess concentration, standard free energies of adsorption and micellization, and surface area per molecule, were determined.