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China Surfactant Detergent & Cosmetics ›› 2026, Vol. 56 ›› Issue (9): 1134-1143.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.2097-2806.2026.09.002

• Lecture of science and technology • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Viscoelastic surfactants (Ⅸ) Ultra-long-chain ionic surfactants

Lulu Liu1,Qiang Chen2,Yixiu Han3,Yujun Feng2,*()   

  1. 1 China Construction Eighth Bureau New Construction Engineering Co., Ltd., Shanghai 200000, China
    2 State Key Laboratory of Advanced Polymer Materials, Polymer Research Institute, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610065, China
    3 The Second Research Institute of Civil Aviation Administration of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China
  • Received:2026-09-01 Online:2026-09-22 Published:2026-09-30
  • Contact: *E-mail: yjfeng@scu.edu.cn. E-mail:yjfeng@scu.edu.cn

Abstract:

Ultra-long-chain ionic surfactants, distinguished by hydrophobic tails longer than C18, have emerged as a promising class of amphiphiles capable of self-assembling into wormlike micelles at relatively low concentrations. This review focuses on their synthesis, solubility, rheological behavior, and potential applications, with particular attention to anionic, cationic, and zwitterionic species. A versatile synthesis route starting from long-chain or ultra-long-chain fatty acids enables the preparation of sodium erucate, quaternary ammonium surfactants, sulfobetaines, carboxybetaines, and amine oxides. Because extended alkyl chains strengthen hydrophobic association and crystalline packing, these surfactants often suffer from high Krafft temperatures and poor water solubility. Introducing cis-unsaturated bonds, hydrotropic salts, or weakly stable hydrophilic headgroups effectively disrupts chain ordering and enhances dissolution. In particular, tetraalkylammonium hydrotropes markedly lower the Krafft temperature of sodium erucate, while betaine-type zwitterions display salt-dependent solubility governed by headgroup structure and electrostatic screening. Rheologically, ultra-long-chain ionic surfactants readily form entangled wormlike micellar networks, giving rise to pronounced viscoelasticity, shear thinning, and tunable zero-shear viscosity. The anionic sodium erucate-hydrotrope system, the cationic erucyl amide surfactant, and several zwitterionic betaines and amine oxides exemplify such behavior. Chemical stability can be improved by replacing hydrolyzable amide linkages with C-N bonds, as demonstrated by a cationic surfactant that retains viscosity in 20 wt% HCl at 150 ℃. These systems also show promise in aircraft deicing/anti-icing fluids and cryogenic clean fracturing fluids, where wormlike micelles remain functional at temperatures as low as -20 ℃.

Key words: ultra-long-chain surfactant, ionic surfactant, viscoelastic surfactant, wormlike micelles

CLC Number: 

  • TQ423