2-hydroxyalkanal 1 - 1 - alkyl

A.lpha-Olefm Sulfonates. Sulfonation of alpha-olefins yields a mixture of alkene sulfonates, hydroxyalkane sulfonates, and some amount of various disulfonates. These detergents are excellent foamers with good detergency properties. They are unaffected ia hard water and thek effects are considered superior to the alkyl ether sulfates (9). 

Replacing a hydrogen atom in any of the methylene groups by a hydroxide function significantly reduces the retention time. The position of the hydroxide function exerts a noticeable influence on the resulting retention time. Fig. 5-35 shows the separation of two Ci6-hydroxyalkane sulfonates, which are hydroxy-substituted in the 2- and 3-pos-ition of the alkyl chain. In comparison to non-substituted alkane sulfonates, the retention decrease corresponds to the loss of 2 to 3 methylene groups from the solvophobic alkyl groups. 

If desired the sulphatosulphonate can be acid-hydrolysed in the same way as an alkyl sulphate and determined by two-phase titration of the resulting hydroxyalkane sulphonate with benzethonium chloride. Any true disulphonates present are not measured. 

The components of a-olefin sulfonates, namely alkenesulfonates, hydroxyalkane sulfonates, and the corresponding disulfonates, can be determined by TLC on Silica Gel G, with development with chloroform/methanol/sulfuric acid and visualization by sulfuric acid charring or other means (25,26). Rf values increase in the order disulfonates, hydroxyalkane monosulfonates, alkenesulfonates, and unsulfonated oil, with no differentiation by alkyl chain length (see Table 5). 

Collisionally activated dissociation. Hydroxyalkane sulfonates cannot be differentiated from alkyl sulfates by simple electrospray MS in negative ion mode because the parent ions are similar. However, CAD shows a daughter ion at m/z 80, indicating a sulfonate, and neutral loss of a water, characteristic of the hydroxyalkane compound (15). 

---