Potential cleavable molecules

Figure 1.28 Scheme using potential cleavable molecules to switch the surface chemistry. (Reprinted with permission from Ref [149]. 

A second incentive for the development of cleavable surfactants is to avoid complications such as foaming or formation of unwanted, stable emulsions after use of a surfactant formulation. Cleavable surfactants present the potential for elimination of some of these problems. If the weak bond is present between the polar and the non-polar part of the molecule, cleavage will lead to one water-soluble and one water-insoluble product. Both moieties can usually be removed by standard work-up procedures. This approach has been of particular interest for surfactants used in preparative organic chemistry and in various biochemical applications. 

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