Recovery of Phenols Using Liquid Surfactant Membranes Prepared with Newly Synthesized Surfactants

Abstract

Extraction and stripping equilibrium of phenol, p-cresol, and p-chlorophenol were studied with an organic solution containing a newly synthesized surfactant and an aqueous alkaline solution as a stripping phase. A cationic surfactant showed the highest extraction ratio of phenol among several surfactants used in this study. The magnitude of phenol extracted from water was in the order phenol < p- chlorophenol < p-cresol. The stripping of phenol extracted in the organic solution was quantitatively accomplished with an alkaline solution of high concentration except for the case of cationic surfactants. Extraction of phenol and its derivatives by liquid surfactant membranes containing a newly synthesized surfactant as an emulsifier was carried out in a stirred cell. The effects of various parameters (such as a surfactant and alkaline concentration, the kind of surfactant, and the alkali composition) on the extraction efficiency of phenol were examined along with demulsification of W/O emulsions. On the basis of the stability of surfactants against alkaline solutions used as a receiving phase, cationic surfactants which did not involve an ester or amide bond in their molecule appeared to be among the best surfactants available for phenol removal in liquid membrane operations. The efficiency of phenol recovery with sodium hydroxide as a stripping agent was much higher than that with sodium carbonate; however, the demulsification efficiency of the emulsions decreased with an increase in the content of sodium hydroxide in the mixed alkaline solutions of sodium hydroxide and sodium carbonate. In the design of an efficient recovery process of phenols by LSMs, the composition of the alkaline solution was one of the key factors. Under optimal conditions, phenolic derivatives could be recovered in a few minutes.

     

Separation of Cobalt and Nickel with Phenylphosphonic Acid Mono-4-tert-octylphenyl Ester by Liquid Surfactant Membranes

Abstract

The separation of cobalt and nickel with liquid surfactant membranes (LSMs) was carried out in a stirred cell using a newly synthesized extractant. The effect of a surfactant on the kinetics of cobalt and nickel extraction was investigated to elucidate the role of a surfactant used in LSMs. The extraction equilibrium of these metals was also examined. Further, the interfacial tension between the organic and aqueous phases was measured to elucidate the adsorption equilibrium of a surfactant. It was found that the interfacial activity of the extractant is as high as that of a surfactant. In the extraction equilibrium study of these metals, extraction equilibrium constants were obtained for cobalt and nickel for the following equations:

Co²⁺ + 2(HR)₂=CoR₂(HR)₂ + 2H⁺ Ni²⁺ + 3(HR)₂=NiR₂2(HR)₂ + 2H⁺ The effects of the extractant and surfactant on the extraction rate of cobalt and nickel in LSMs were studied. The results were analyzed by a proposed model with an interfacial reaction, and rate constants were obtained for each metal. It was found that the new extractant has a very strong extractability for each metal compared with a conventional commercial extractant such as 2-ethylhexylphosphonic acid mono-2-elhylhexylester (commercial name, PC-88A) or di(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid (D2EHPA). Further, a surfactant strongly affected the extraction rate and the separation of these metals, and a cationic surfactant was selected.     

Constructing Gemini‐Like Surfactants with Single‐Chain Surfactant and Dicarboxylic Acid Sodium Salts

Construction of gemini‐like surfactants using the cationic single‐chain surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide C₁₆H₃₃N(CH₃)₃Br₂ (CTAB) and the anionic dicarboxylic acid sodium salt NaOOC(CH₂)_n‐2COONa (C_nNa₂, n = 4, 6, 8, 10, 12) by way of non‐covalent interactions has been investigated by surface tension measurements, hydrogen‐1 nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR) spectroscopy and isothermal titration microcalorimetry (ITC). The critical micelle concentrations (cmc) of the CTAB/C_nNa₂ mixtures are obviously lower than that of CTAB and strongly depend on the mixing ratio. Moreover, the cmc values of the CTAB/C_nNa₂ mixtures decrease gradually with an increasing methylene chain length of C_nNa₂, indicating hydrophobic interaction between the hydrocarbon chains of CTAB and C_nNa₂ facilitates micellization of the mixtures. In particular, the ITC curves and ¹H NMR spectra indicate that the binding ratio of CTAB to C_nNa₂, except C₄Na₂, is around 2:1, i.e., (CTAB)₂C_nNa₂. Additionally, CTAB/C_nNa₂ mixtures are soluble in a whole molar ratio and concentration ranges have been studied, even at the electrical neutralization point. Therefore, these results reveal that highly soluble gemini‐like surfactants are conveniently constructed with oppositely‐charged cationic single‐chain surfactants and dicarboxylic acid sodiums. In an attempt at improving the performance of surfactants this work provides guidance for choosing additives that form gemini‐like surfactants via an uncomplicated synthesis.     

Ortho ester-based cleavable cationic surfactants

A new type of cleavable cationic surfactant, based on the ortho ester link, is described. Ortho ester amines with alkyl chain lengths from C₈ to C₁₆ were synthesized from a short-chain ortho ester, a fatty alcohol, and an amino acohol. The ortho ester amine was subsequently quaternized with methyl chloride, yielding a cationic surfactant. The structures were confirmed by ¹H and ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance and the surface chemical properties were investigated by measuring both static and dynamic surface tensions. The results were compared to standard n-alkyl trimethyl ammonium bromides. The critical micelle concentrations were found to vary rather widely, whereas the surface tensions in some cases were comparatively low. The short alkyl chain ortho ester quaternaries were found to have low surface tensions at short surface ages and to induce rapid wetting of a hydrophobic surface in dynamic tests. Additionally, the new surfactants were found to hydrolyze rapidly under mild acidic conditions, as measured by both titation and monitoring of the dynamic surface tension. Further, they showed excellent long-term stability at pH 10 in dilute aqueous solutions. The effect of added electrolyte on rate of hydrolysis was also investigated. A marked enhancement in the hydrolysis rate was found when NaBr was added, whereas NaCl did not have the same effect. The new surfactants could potentially be used to provide temporary surfactant action in application areas such as disinfection, fabric care, personal care, chain lubrication, and mineral flotation as well as in textile processes such as dyeing or scouring.     

Adsorbent Derived from Pinus pinaster Tannin for Cationic Surfactant Removal

Abstract

Pinus tannin gel (PTG) has proven to be an effective adsorbent for removing various cationic pollutants including heavy metals, dyes, and surfactants. The form of obtaining these condensed tannins from Pinus pinaster bark was conventional aqueous extraction using 5.0% ethanol as additive. The present study focused on the removal of the surfactant hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) from aqueous solutions using PTG. Kinetic studies showed that the Lagergren, Ho, and Elovich models all adequately explained the kinetics of CTAB adsorption onto PTG, with r² correlation coefficients of around 0.98. The influences of pH and temperature were found not to be critical, and the CTAB-PTG system was modeled theoretically according to the Langmuir hypothesis using linear, nonlinear, and multiparametric forms, obtaining the values of the activation energies and such system constants as k _l .     

Surface Rheological Properties of Hydrophobically Modified Polyacrylamide and Imidazolium Surfactant Systems

The dilational rheological properties of hydrophobically modified polyacrylamide (HMPAM) or hydrolyzed polyacrylamide (HPAM) solutions without and with imidazolium surfactants ([C₁₄‐4‐C₁₄im]Br₂ and [C₁₄mim]Br) at the air/water surface were investigated using oscillating bubble measurements. The results obtained suggest that imidazolium surfactants interact with the polymer on the surface, enhancing the dilational viscoelasticity of surface film. The dilational modulus value of [C₁₄‐4‐C₁₄im]Br₂/HMPAM is higher than that of the [C₁₄mim]Br/HMPAM system at low polymer concentration, confirming that [C₁₄‐4‐C₁₄im]Br₂ with two head groups and two hydrophobic chains can combine with a polymer to form a strong film on the surface. Moreover, imidazolium surfactants have stronger hydrophobic interaction with HMPAM chains than those of HPAM, thus enhancing the surface film strength for a surfactant/HMPAM system. The surface interaction mechanism between polyacrylamide and imidazolium surfactant is proposed to result from the electrostatic interactions and the hydrophobic effect.     

Rare Earth Metal Extraction by Liquid Surfactant Membranes Containing a Calixarene Carboxylate Derivative: Permeation Acceleration Effect of Sodium Ions

ABSTRACT

Calixarene carboxylate derivatives were used as a mobile carrier for rare earth permeation in a liquid surfactant membrane (LSM) system. The effect of alkali metal ions on the extraction behavior of rare earth metals in both liquid-liquid extraction and LSM systems has been studied. The addition of sodium ions considerably enhanced the extraction ability of rare earth metals in the extraction equilibrium. Furthermore, the presence of alkali metal ions in the material solution affected the rate of rare earth permeation in LSMs. The most accelerative transport of rare earth metals by LSMs was achieved by the addition of sodium ions. This acceleration effect of sodium ions was predominant in a tetracarboxylate calixarene whose cavity size just fits the ionic diameter of sodium ions. The sodium-loaded calix[4]arene derivative showed good performance as an effective mobile carrier for rare earth metals in the presence of sodium ions.     

Protocol for Studying Aqueous Foams Stabilized by Surfactant Mixtures

Even though foams have been the subject of intensive investigations over the last decades, many important questions related to their properties remain open. This concerns in particular foams which are stabilized by mixtures of surfactants. The present study deals with the fundamental question: which are the important parameters one needs to consider if one wants to characterize foams properly? We give an answer to this question by providing a measuring protocol which we apply to well‐known surfactant systems. The surfactants of choice are the two non‐ionic surfactants n‐dodecyl‐β‐d ‐maltoside (β‐C₁₂G₂) and hexaethyleneglycol monododecyl ether (C₁₂E₆) as well as their 1:1 mixture. Following the suggested protocol, we generated data which allow discussion of the influence of the surfactant structure and of the composition on the time evolution of the foam volume, the liquid fraction, the bubble size and the bubble size distribution. This paper shows that different foam properties can be assigned to different surfactant structures, which is the crucial point if one wants to tailor‐make surfactants for specific applications.     

Polymerized Surfactant Vesicles

Irradiation of surfactant vesicles prepared from (C₁₈H₃₇)₂ N⁺(CH₃)C₆H₄-CHCH₂p,CT⁻, 1, [C₁₅H₃₁CO₂(CH₂)₂]₂N⁺(CH₃)CH₂C₆H₄CHCH₂,CL⁻ 2, and (C₁₈-H₃₇)₂N⁺(CH₃)CH₂CH₂OCOC₆H₄CHCH₂p,Br⁻, 3, by ultraviolet light or by bursts of 266 nm laser pulses have resulted in the loss of styrene absorbances. This process has been accounted for in terms of a model which considers intravesicular surface reactions to give polymers with average chainlength of 22. Degreees of photopolymerization have been determined in vesicles prepared from 3 subsequent to separating the polystryrene, formed in the photolysis, from the surfactants. Vesicle surface photopolymerizations result in aqueous cleft formation and in enhanced stabilities. Polymerized vesicles provide media for in situ generation of colloidal catalysts and semiconductors.     

Synthesis and evaluation of micellar properties and antimicrobial activities of imidazole‐based surfactants

The synthesis of two types of imidazole‐based surfactants, [(ROCOCH₂MIm)Br] and [(RNHCOCH₂MIm)Br], of varying chain lengths (C₁₀, C₁₂ and C₁₆), was conducted in the present work. The synthesis involves an initial reaction of bromoacetic acid with fatty alcohols or fatty amines, followed by quaternization with N‐methyl imidazole. The micellar properties of all the synthesized compounds were determined using surface tensiometry and compared with [(RMIm)Br], a well‐studied alkyl‐substituted imidazole‐based surfactant. Within the same homologous series, a decrease in critical micelle concentration (cmc) was observed with increasing alkyl chain length in all three types of cationic surfactants. Introduction of an ester [(ROCOCH₂MIm)Br] or an amide group [(RNHCOCH₂MIm)Br] in the alkyl chain lowers the cmc when compared to a cationic surfactant without functional group, [(RMIm)Br]. The synthesized surfactants were also assayed for antimicrobial activities and found to possess good activities against selected strains.     

Extraction and separation of rare earths from chloride medium with mixtures of 2‐ethylhexylphosphonic acid mono‐(2‐ethylhexyl) ester and sec‐nonylphenoxy acetic acid

BACKGROUND: 2‐ethylhexylphosphonic acid mono‐(2‐ethylhexyl) ester (HEHEHP, H₂A₂) has been applied extensively to the extraction of rare earths. However, there are some limitations to its further utilization and the synergistic extraction of rare earths with mixtures of HEHEHP and another extractant has attracted much attention. Organic carboxylic acids are also a type of extractant employed for the extraction of rare earths, e.g. naphthenic acid has been widely used to separate yttrium from rare earths. Compared with naphthenic acid, sec‐nonylphenoxy acetic acid (CA100, H₂B₂) has many advantages such as stable composition, low solubility, and strong acidity in the aqueous phase. In the present study, the extraction of rare earths with mixtures of HEHEHP and CA100 has been investigated. The separation of the rare earth elements is also studied. RESULTS: The synergistic enhancement coefficient decreases with increasing atomic number of the lanthanoid. A significant synergistic effect is found for the extraction of La³⁺ as the complex LaH₂ClA₂B₂ with mixtures of HEHEHP and CA100. The equilibrium constant and thermodynamic functions obtained from the experimental results are 10^?0.92 (K_AB), 13.23 kJ mol^?1 (ΔH), 5.25 kJ mol^?1 (ΔG), and 26.75 J mol^?1 K^?1 (ΔS), respectively. CONCLUSION: Graphical and numerical methods have been successfully employed to determine the stoichiometries for the extraction of La³⁺ with mixtures of HEHEHP and CA100. The mixtures have different extraction effects on different rare earths, which provides the possibility for the separation of yttrium from heavy rare earths at an appropriate ratio of HEHEHP and CA100. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Laundry Detergency of Solid Nonparticulate Soil or Waxy Solids: Part II. Effect of the Surfactant Type

In this work, methyl palmitate with a melting point around 30°C was used as a model of waxy soil. Its detergency was evaluated with a hydrophilic surface (cotton) or a hydrophobic surface (polyester) using different surfactants: alcohol ethoxylate (EO9), sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), methyl ester sulfonate (MES), methyl ester ethoxylate (MEE), and two extended surfactants (C_12,14-10PO-2EO-SO₄Na and C_12,14-16PO-2EO-SO₄Na). The detergency efficiency at a 0.2 wt.% surfactant and 5 wt.% NaCl gradually increased while redeposition gradually decreased with increasing washing temperature in most studied surfactant solutions; this was observed both above and below the melting point of methyl palmitate on both studied fabrics. If the methyl palmitate was heated above the melting point when deposited on the fabric, it was better able to penetrate into the fabric matrix as compared to deposition below the melting point, resulting in poorer detergency for heated deposition, particularly for washing temperatures lower than the melting point. Among the surfactants studied, the nonionic surfactant (EO9) showed the highest detergency efficiency (73–94%) at any washing temperature especially on the polyester fabric. For washing temperatures below the melting point, detergency performance correlated well with the contact angle of surfactant solution on the solid methyl palmitate surface for all studied surfactants when salinity was varied. In this work, conditions resulting in the highest detergency below the melting point corresponded to the highest detergency above the melting point, suggesting this as a systematic approach to formulating below the melting point of the soil. Charge of particles or fabric was not observed to be important to the detergency mechanism, but steric factors resulting from surfactant adsorption were observed to be important mechanistic factors in waxy solid detergency.     

EXTRACTION OF RARE EARTH METALS WITH 2-ETHYLHEXYL PHOSPHONIC ACID MONO-2-ETHYLHEXYL ESTER IN THE PRESENCE OF DIETHYLENETRIAMINEPENTAACETIC ACID IN AQUEOUS PHASE

Abstract

The extraction equilibria of rare earth metals with 2-ethylhexyl phosphonic acid mono-2-ethylhexyl ester (commercial name, PC-88A, henceforth abbreviated as HR) dissolved in n-heptane were measured at 303 K. It was found that rare earth metals are extracted with the dimer of the extractant, (HR)₂, as follows.

The extraction equilibrium constants of metals were obtained and compared with the extraction equilibrium constants obtained by di(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid (henceforth D2EHPA).

Furthermore, the extraction equilibria of rare earth metals with PC-88A in the presence of diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (henceforth DTPA) in an aqueous phase were also measured to discuss the effect of DTPA on the extraction of rare earth metals.     

Synthesis,Micellization, and Surface Activity of Novel Linear-Dendritic Carboxylate Surfactants

Two generations of novel linear-dendritic carboxylate surfactants C₁₈-G₁-(COONa)₂ and C₁₈-G₂-(COONa)₄ have been synthesized by the divergent method and their structures are characterized by ¹H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and Infrared analysis. The electrical conductivity measurement is used to measure the Krafft temperatures of C₁₈-G₁-(COONa)₂ and C₁₈-G₂-(COONa)₄, which are much smaller than those of the corresponding conventional surfactant sodium stearate. The markedly enhanced solubility of two linear-dendritic surfactants is ascribed to the high hydrophilicity of surfactant headgroups induced by the carboxylate and ester groups. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) values obtained from both the electrical conductivity and surface tension measurements indicate that the micellizations of linear-dendritic surfactants become favorable with the increase in the number of the surfactant headgroup. However, the surface activity parameters including the surface tension at the CMC, maximum surface excess, and minimum surface area reveal that C₁₈-G₁-(COONa)₂ exhibits greater efficiency in absorbing at the air/water interface compared to C₁₈-G₂-(COONa)₄, owing to their different steric repulsions of the surfactant headgroups. In addition, C₁₈-G₁-(COONa)₂ and C₁₈-G₂-(COONa)₄ have higher emulsifying ability than the conventional surfactants sodium stearate and sodium octadecyl sulfate.     

Effect of Polar Organic Solvents on Self‐Aggregation of Some Cationic Monomeric and Dimeric Surfactants

Surface and micellization behavior of some cationic monomeric surfactants, viz., cetyldiethylethanolammonium bromide (CDEEAB), cetyldimethylethanolammonium bromide (CDMEAB), tetradecyldiethylethanolammonium bromide (TDEEAB) and dimeric surfactants, i.e., alkanediyl‐α, ω‐bis(dimethylhexadecylammonium bromide) (C₁₆‐s‐C₁₆, 2Br^? where s = 4, 12), butanediyl‐1,4‐bis(dimethyldodecylammonium bromide (C₁₂‐4‐C₁₂, 2Br^?) and 2‐butanol‐1,4‐bis(dimethyldodecylammonium bromide) (C₁₂‐4(OH)‐C₁₂, 2Br^?), was studied in water‐organic solvents [10 and 20 % v/v ethylene glycol (EG) and diethylene glycol (DEG)] by conductivity, surface tension and steady‐state fluorescence methods at 300 K. The main focus of the present work is on the study of the effect of organic solvents on the critical micelle concentration (CMC), Gibbs free energy of micellization (ΔG°_m), Gibbs free energy of transfer (ΔG°_trans), Gibbs adsorption energy (ΔG°_ads) and some interfacial parameters such as the surface excess concentration (Γ_max), minimum area per surfactant molecule (A_min) and surface pressure (π_CMC). The aggregation number (N_agg) and Stern‐Volmer quenching constant (K_SV) were also determined by the steady‐state fluorescence method. It was observed that N_agg decreased with increasing volume percent of organic solvent. The results exhibited an increase in CMC in water‐organic solvents as compared to the respective surfactants in pure water. The negative values of ΔG°_m and ΔG°_ads indicate a spontaneous micellization process. The thermodynamics of micellization revealed that the micellization‐reducing efficiency of glycols increases with the concentration and the number of ethereal oxygens in the glycol.     

Synthesis,Characterization, Surface,and Thermodynamic Studies of Alkyl Tetrachloroferrates: Performance Evaluation of Their Nanostructures as Biocides

Decyl and dodecylamino tetrachloroferrates were synthesized and characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), elemental analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H-NMR), and atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). The surface properties of the cationic surfactants including critical micelle concentration, effectiveness, minimum surface area, and maximum surface excess were determined using surface tension measurements. The effectiveness of surface tension reduction (π_cmc) was found to increase as the hydrophobic chain length increases with values of 30 and 34 mN m⁻¹ for C₁₀ and C₁₂, respectively. Moreover, the effect of temperature on micellization was determined over the range of 35–55 °C. Thermodynamic parameters (ΔG°, ΔS°, and ΔH°) were calculated and the results indicate a spontaneous process for both micellization and adsorption. The nanoparticles (NC₁₀ and NC₁₂) of the prepared surfactants were obtained using the ball mill technique. The particle size and morphology of the nanoparticles were determined using transmission electron microscope measurements. The antibacterial study of the nanoparticle surfactants revealed their strong efficiency against fungi and different pathogenic bacteria compared with the original surfactants.     

Synthesis and chemical hydrolysis of surface-active esters

A series of four homologous pure nonionic surfactants, all monoesters of tetra(ethylene glycol), were synthesized. The ester surfactants varied in the degree of substitution on the α-carbon of the acyl chain, from no substitution to 2-methyl, to 2-ethyl, and on to 2,2-dimethyl. All surfactants were based on C₈-acids except the 2-methyl-substituted, which was based on a C₇-acid. The ester surfactants were characterized by critical micelle concentration (CMC) and cloud point. Base-catalyzed hydrolysis was investigated by using ¹H NMR and tensiometry. The surfactants showed a pronounced difference in hydrolytic reactivity; the nonsubstituted surfactant was 90 times more reactive than the disubstituted, and the reactivity of the methyl-substituted surfactant was 14 times more reactive than the ethyl-substituted. Hydrolysis studies above the CMC revealed that the ester bond of the aggregated surfactant is protected from attack by hydroxide ions; thus, only surfactants in monomeric form are being cleaved.     

Rheological Properties of Wormlike Micelles Formed in Aqueous Systems of 3‐Alkoxy‐2‐hydroxypropyl Trimethyl Ammonium Bromides in the Presence of Sodium Octanoate

The rheological properties of aqueous systems composed of each of the four homologous cationic surfactants (3‐alkoxy‐2‐hydroxypropyl trimethyl ammonium bromides, C_nHTAB, n = 12, 14, 16 and 18) in the presence of an anionic surfactant, sodium octanoate (SO), have been studied by using steady state and frequency sweep rheological measurements. The effects of surfactant concentration, hydrophobic chain length and temperature were investigated. In C₁₄HTAB solution, the viscosity shows shear thinning in the concentration range of C_C14HTAB >320 mmol/kg. Addition of SO promotes the micellar growth and results in the generation of wormlike micelles. Zero‐shear viscosity (η₀) of the binary surfactant system exhibits a maximum point in the investigated concentration range, suggesting the interaction between C₁₄HTAB and SO molecules is strongest at the optimal ratio of C₁₄HTAB with SO. The decrease in viscosity was attributed to be the transition from entangled wormlike micelles to branching micelles after the maximum point, cryo‐TEM images revealed the changes in the structure of the wormlike micelles.     

Hydrolysis and biodegradation studies of surface-active esters

Base-catalyzed hydrolysis, biodegradation, and enzyme-catalyzed hydrolysis of a series of four monoesters of tetra(ethylene glycol) have been investigated. The surfactants varied in substitution on the α-carbon of the acyl chain, from no substitution, to 2-methyl, to 2-ethyl, and on to 2,2-dimethyl. All surfactants were based on C₈-acids except the methyl-substituted, which was based on a C₇-acid. The hydrolysis was investigated using ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance. The surfactants showed a pronounced difference in stability with respect to type of substitution in the vicinity of the ester bond. In alka-line hydrolysis the most significant difference in reactivity lay between the surfactant with an ethyl group and the surfactant with a methyl group in the α-position of the acyl chain. However, in the biodegradation studies these surfactants broke down at almost exactly the same rate as the nonsubstituted surfactant. In the biodegradation test, the disubstituted surfactant deviated considerably. Two lipases, from Mucor miehei (MML) and Candida antarctica B (CALB), were used in the enzyme-catalyzed hydrolysis. The surfactant with no substitution was found to hydrolyze much faster than the other surfactants, and the hydrolytic activity of MML, but not CALB, increased in the presence of surfactant micelles.     

Synthesis,Surface and Antimicrobial Activities of Novel Cationic Gemini Surfactants

A series of novel cationic gemini surfactants [C_nH_2n+1–O–CH₂–CH(OH)–CH₂–N⁺(CH₃)₂–(CH₂)₂]₂·2Br^? [ 3a (n = 12), 3b (n = 14) and 3c (n = 16)] having a 2‐hydroxy‐1,3‐oxypropylene group [?CH₂–CH(OH)–CH₂–O–] in the hydrophobic chain have been synthesized and characterized. Their water solubility, surface activity, foaming properties, and antibacterial activity have been examined. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) values of the novel cationic gemini surfactants are one to two orders of magnitude smaller than those of the corresponding monomeric surfactants. Furthermore, the novel cationic gemini surfactants have better water solubility and surface activity than the comparable [C_nH_2n+1–N⁺(CH₃)₂–(CH₂)₂]₂·2Br^? (n‐4‐n) geminis. The novel cationic gemini surfactants 3a and 3b also exhibit good foaming properties and show good antibacterial and antifungal activities.