Novel non-ionic surfactants synthesised through the reaction of CO2 with long alkyl chain epoxides

• 1,2-hexadecene carbonate (HDC) was prepared from CO 2 using a green catalytic system. HDC identified as promising surfactant for the formation of nanoemulsions between water and hexane. The most stable w/o emulsion hexane achieved with 50:50 % in volume (w/v) HDC. addition CaCl enhanced stability emulsion. Two long alkyl chain cyclic carbonates, 1,2-dodecene (DDC), were synthesised via approach corresponding epoxide, achieving nearly complete conversion full selectivity. After purification, two products studied application non-ionic surfactants through different tests, including interfacial tension, droplet size measurements. demonstrated to be suitable surfactant, it able reduce tension an inverse (i.e. water-in-oil, w/o) at concentrations (0.5–2.5 wt.%). allowed reaching similar surface activity compared benchmark sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS), although latter oil-in-water (o/w) emulsion, concentration range 1.5 2.5 wt.%. On other hand, DDC not efficient stabiliser, yielding only slight decrease when results obtained under same conditions. This underlined role hydrophobicity longer on performance these carbonates surfactants. For HDC, optimum ratio preparing 50/50 vol %, which showed highest colloidal 2.0 surfactant. Increasing 1.0 resulted significant average 170 72 nm, polydispersity dispersion. A further narrowing distribution, leading monodisperse nanoemulsions, upon . combination this study reveals new, class sustainable consisting