A novel series of cleavable alkyltrimethylammonium surfactants with different hydrocarbon chain lengths (C8–16) were synthesized. A carbonate break site inserted between the polar head and the hydrocarbon chain makes these compounds hydrolyzable. The reagents used are renewable, (bio)degradable, or reusable. The hydrolysis of these cleavable surfactants will lead to the generation of fatty alcohols and choline, which is an essential biological nutrient. The surface activities in aqueous solution of the synthesized carbonates fulfill the requirement of being good surfactants. In addition, the cleavable compounds containing n-decyl and n-dodecyl chains showed similar or higher antimicrobial activities when compared to a non-cleavable analog.

中文翻译：

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新型含碳酸根可裂解阳离子表面活性剂的合成与性能

合成了一系列具有不同烃链长度（C8-16）的新型可裂解烷基三甲基铵表面活性剂。插入极性头和烃链之间的碳酸酯断裂位使这些化合物可水解。所使用的试剂是可再生的，（生物）可降解的或可重复使用的。这些可裂解的表面活性剂的水解将导致脂肪醇和胆碱的生成，这是一种必不可少的生物营养素。合成碳酸盐在水溶液中的表面活性满足成为良好表面活性剂的要求。另外，与不可裂解的类似物相比，含有正癸基和正十二烷基链的可裂解化合物显示相似或更高的抗微生物活性。