Syntheses, interfacial active properties and toxicity of new perfluoroalkylated surfactants

New surfactants have been synthesized with perfluorohexyl-groups as hydrophobic tail, a polyethyleneglycol-methylether as hydrophilic head and a prolongator between them. The prolongator units are -C4H8-, -C2H4OC5H10-, -C2H4OC3H6C(O)- and -CH2CH(OEt)CH2-. The surface tension, CMC and the interfacial tension water/perfluorocarbon were measured and the surface excess concentrations of the surfactant molecules were calculated. The influence of the surfactants on in vitro proliferation of human cell lines Hela and Molt 4 was investigated as a parameter for biocompatibility. The influence of the surfactants led to a reduction of cell proliferation depending on the concentration and chemical nature of the surfactant. Thus the prolongators changed the properties of the surfactants. They reduced the interfacial tension water/perfluorocarbon and improved the biocompatibility of surfactants.