Recent advances in gemini surfactants: oleic Acid-based gemini surfactants and polymerizable gemini surfactants.

Gemini surfactants recently developed by our research group are introduced from the standpoints of their syntheses, aqueous solution properties, and potential applications. Two series of gemini surfactants are introduced in this short review, the first of which is the oleic acid-based gemini surfactants, and the second is the polymerizable gemini surfactants. These gemini surfactants have been developed not only as environmentally friendly materials (the use of gemini surfactants enables the reduction of the total consumption of surfactants in chemical products owing to their excellent adsorption and micellization capabilities at low concentrations) but also as functional organic materials.