# The Synthesis of Novel Glucosylamide Organosilicon Quaternary Ammonium Salts and Long-Lasting Modification of Different Materials

## TL;DR

Scientists made new eco-friendly surfactants from glucose that work well on various materials and could be used in cleaning products and coatings.

## Contribution

Novel glucosylamide organosilicon quaternary ammonium salts with low surface tension and long-lasting material modification properties are synthesized.

## Key findings

- Surface tension was reduced to 33.4 mN/m for 2SiDDGPBH and 33.64 mN/m for 3SiDDGPBH.
- 3SiDDGPBH-treated MFR plywood maintained spreading performance after 80 washing cycles.
- SEM analysis showed increased silicon content and improved bonding properties in treated materials.

## Abstract

Using renewable D-gluconic acid δ-lactone as the starting material, two novel glucosamide-based organosilicon quaternary ammonium surfactants (2/3SiDDGPBH) were synthesized through an environmentally friendly three-step process involving amidation, hydrophobic modification, and quaternization. Comprehensive characterization demonstrated their exceptional performance: surface tension reduction to 33.4 mN/m (2SiDDGPBH) and 33.64 mN/m (3SiDDGPBH), uniform spherical micelles (1–10 nm and 30–100 nm) were formed, and outstanding foam properties with 3SiDDGPBH developed, showing superior foamability and stability. Material modification tests on polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) plates, mature acacia leaves, oilpaper, vegetable-tanned top-grain leather, and melamine-formaldehyde resin (MFR) faced with plywood revealed excellent spreading performance and durability, particularly for 3SiDDGPBH-treated MFR plywood, which maintained excellent spreading performance even after 80 washing cycles. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis confirmed that the Si wt% of MFR plywood treated with 2/3SiDDGPBH and scrubbed MFR plywood both exhibited a significant increase, and the 3SiDDGPBH-treated MFR plywood demonstrated superior bonding properties. These surfactants combine low surface tension, excellent foaming properties, and outstanding spreading performance, demonstrating broad application prospects in fields such as pesticide adjuvants, industrial and household cleaning agents, cosmetics, oilfield extraction, textile printing and dyeing, and functional coatings.