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Gemini Surfactant Application Studies

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Applied Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 March 2026) | Viewed by 812

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Bioactive Products, Faculty of Chemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University Poznan, 61-614 Poznan, Poland
Interests: spectroscopy; organic synthesis; molecular interactions; surface chemistry; microbiocide chemistry; betaines; corrosion inhibition
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Bioactive Compounds, Faculty of Chemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 8, 61-614 Poznan, Poland
Interests: organic synthesis; molecular interactions; surface chemistry; microbiocide chemistry; smart materials; corrosion inhibition; environmental chemistry
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Emerging gemini surfactants have a unique dimeric architecture and superior physicochemical and biological properties. Gemini surfactants with a wide range of hydrophilic–lipophilic balance (HLB) are extremely useful as an innovative material in chemistry (contributing to corrosion inhibition, micellar catalysis, nanoparticle synthesis, the preparation of supramolecular solvents, preparation of nanoemulsions, synthesis of precisely defined polymers, and fluid rheology), pharmacy and medicine  (biocides, drug carriers, capping agents for metal nanoparticles with biocidal properties, and nonviral gene delivery systems), and optoelectronics (through spatial networks of well-dispersed molecules).

Gemini surfactants also play a key role in new technologies producing smart materials. A broad review of their application in research will further our understanding of the technological challenges facing Gemini surfactants.

Dr. Iwona Kowalczyk
Prof. Dr. Bogumil E. Brycki
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • gemini surfactants
  • biological activity
  • physicochemical analysis
  • smart material

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

18 pages, 1092 KB  
Review
Cationic Gemini Surfactants in the Oil Industry: Applications in Extraction, Transportation and Refinery Products
by Bogumił Brycki, Adrianna Szulc, Justyna Brycka and Iwona Kowalczyk
Molecules 2026, 31(1), 108; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules31010108 - 27 Dec 2025
Viewed by 527
Abstract
The petroleum industry faces intensifying challenges related to the depletion of easily accessible reservoirs and the growing energy demand, necessitating the adoption of advanced chemical agents that can operate under extreme conditions. Cationic gemini surfactants, characterized by their unique dimeric architecture consisting of [...] Read more.
The petroleum industry faces intensifying challenges related to the depletion of easily accessible reservoirs and the growing energy demand, necessitating the adoption of advanced chemical agents that can operate under extreme conditions. Cationic gemini surfactants, characterized by their unique dimeric architecture consisting of two hydrophilic head groups and two hydrophobic tails, have emerged as superior alternatives to conventional monomeric surfactants due to their enhanced interfacial activity and physicochemical resilience. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the literature concerning the molecular structure, synthesis, and functional applications of cationic gemini surfactants across the entire oil value chain, from extraction to refining. The analysis reveals that gemini surfactants exhibit critical micelle concentrations significantly lower than their monomeric analogs and maintain stability in high-temperature and high-salinity environments. They demonstrate exceptional efficacy in enhanced oil recovery through ultra-low interfacial tension reduction and wettability alteration, while simultaneously serving as effective drag reducers, wax inhibitors, and dual-action biocidal corrosion inhibitors in transportation pipelines. Cationic gemini surfactants represent a transformative class of multifunctional materials for the oil industry. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gemini Surfactant Application Studies)
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