Quantitative assessment of alkyl chain branching in alcohol-based surfactants by nuclear magnetic resonance

Surfactants with branched hydrophobes have gained considerable interest, since these can be used in formulations for laundry cleaning at a wide range of conditions. The claims range from improved dissolution rate to hardness tolerance and stain removing efficacy. In contrast to the historically known heavily branched surfactants, novel branched surfactants are less compromised by increased biodegradability. These properties find their basis in the structural characteristics of the hydrophobe, such as number, position, and type of alkyl chain branches. Our current understanding of structure-property relations, however, is hampered by the lack of generic methodology needed to obtain structural data on hydrophobe branching. A nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) approach was developed by which we could obtain a comprehensive set of quantitative hydrophobe branching parameters in alcohol-based surfactants. The C-13 and H-1 NMR spin systems of hydrophobe branched species were assigned by means of two-dimensional NIMR techniques. These assignments allowed the quantitative assessment of these branched species by straightforward signal integration in the H-1 and C-13 NMR spectra. The quantified NMR data can be used to understand product performance and the biodegradation of surfactants with branched hydrophobes.