https://knowledge.ulprospector.

com/3106/pc-surface-active-agents-surfactants/

Anionic surfactant

Anionic surfactants contain anionic functional groups at their head, such as sulfonate, phosphate, sulfate
and carboxylates. Alkyl sulfates include ammonium lauryl sulfate, sodium lauryl and the related alkyl-
ether sulfates sodium laureth sulfate, also known as sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES), and sodium
myreth sulfate. These are the most common surfactants and comprise the alkyl carboxylates (soaps),
such as sodium stearate. The stearates comprise >50% of the global usage of surfactants. Many of these
find utilization in emulsion polymerization. Other anionic surfactants include dioctyl sodium
sulfosuccinate (DOSS), perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS), linear alkylbenzene sulfonates (LABs) and
perfluorobutanesulfonate, as well as alkyl-aryl ether phosphates. More specialized species include
sodium lauroyl sarcosinate and carboxylate-based fluorosurfactants such as perfluorononanoate,
perfluorooctanoate (PFOA or PFO).

The word “Surfactant” is a contraction of the three words “Surface Active Agents.” What is a surfactant?
Surfactants are materials that lower the surface tension (or interfacial tension) between two liquids or
between a liquid and a solid. In the general sense, any material that affects the interfacial surface
tension, can be considered a surfactant, but in the practical sense, surfactants may act as wetting agents,
emulsifiers, foaming agents, and dispersants.

Surface active agents play an important role as cleaning, wetting, dispersing, emulsifying, foaming and
anti-foaming agents in many practical applications and products, including: paints, emulsions adhesives,
inks, biocides (sanitizers), shampoos, toothpastes, firefighting (foams), detergents, insecticides, deinking
of recycled papers, ski waxes, spermicides (nonoxynol-9).

The word “Surfactant” is a contraction of the three words “Surface Active Agents.” What is a surfactant?
Surfactants are materials that lower the surface tension (or interfacial tension) between two liquids or
between a liquid and a solid. In the general sense, any material that affects the interfacial surface
tension, can be considered a surfactant, but in the practical sense, surfactants may act as wetting agents,
emulsifiers, foaming agents, and dispersants.

Surface active agents play an important role as cleaning, wetting, dispersing, emulsifying, foaming and
anti-foaming agents in many practical applications and products, including: paints, emulsions adhesives,
inks, biocides (sanitizers), shampoos, toothpastes, firefighting (foams), detergents, insecticides, deinking
of recycled papers, ski waxes, spermicides (nonoxynol-9).

https://www.ipcol.com/blog/an-easy-guide-to-understanding-surfactants/

https://blog.biolinscientific.com/what-are-surfactants-and-how-do-they-work