Secondary alkanesulfonate production

Secondary alkanesulfonates are also used as potent surfactants in various cleaner formulations. Some examples are listed in Table 29. Consumer products like cleaners for painting devices or car engines are to be formulated as microemulsions as well (Table 30). 

Because secondary alkanesulfonates are used as mixtures of homologs and sulfo group isomers, ecological and toxicological data are presented for these technical products. If not otherwise indicated, the data reported are based on information of two of the major producers [101,102]. 

In five pilot plants that can be used to simulate the route of anionic surfactants from the consumer via the effluent purification plant to the receiving water, possible toxic effects of residual surfactant content and breakdown products of the secondary alkanesulfonates were investigated [102]. As indicators of the effects on living organisms of the effluent in the receiving water, flora and fauna that are frequently encountered in the p-mesosaprobic zone were used as models. The embryo-larval test was also employed as an additional method for the detection of toxic compounds in the water. 

Secondary alkanesulfonates (SAS). The large-scale production of sodium alkanesulfonates (SAS) began in the late 1960s. 

These sulfonates are still valued as anionic surfactants for consumer products. The secondary alkanesulfonates are known to have high solubility, fast wetting properties, chemical stability to alkali, acids, and strong oxidants such as chlorine. 

Lithium alkynides in tetrahydrofuran or dioxane often give substitution products with secondary haloalkanes, while alkynide Grignard reagents do not usually react with haloalkanes except in the presence of other metals such as cobalt and copper. Substitution of iodine or bromine for chlorine in the halo-alkane often leads to an increased yield of the alkylation product and alkanesulfonates may give greater yields than haloalkanes. Scheme 1 illustrates examples of alkylation of haloalkanes and alkyl sulfates with alkynides of Group I metals. 

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