Interaction of surfactants with Prunus laurocerasus leaf surfaces: time-dependent recovery of wetting contact angles depends on physico-chemical properties of surfactants

Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture

Table 1 Molecular structures and physicochemical properties of the different types of surfactants (non-ionic, cationic, anionic and large polar surfactants). The size of the carbon chain length (C-ratio), ethoxylation degree (EO-ratio), molecular weight (MW) and the corresponding partition coefficient (logK_ow) are given

Type of surfactant	Name	Hydrophobic tail [C-ratio]	Polar head group [EO-ratio]	Molecular weight [g mol⁻¹]	LogK_ow^a
Non-ionic	Diethylene glycol monododecyl ether (C₁₂E₂)	C12	E2	274,44	3.30
	Tetraethylene glycol monododecyl ether (C₁₂E₄)	C12	E4	362,54	2.43
	Hexaethylene glycol monododecyl ether (C₁₂E₆)	C12	E6	450,64	2.30
	Octaethylene glycol monododecyl ether (C₁₂E₈)	C12	E8	538,74	2.01
	Polyoxyethylen(4)-laurylether (Brij L4)	C10/C12/C14	E1-E15	362^b	2.43
Cationic	Cetrimonium bromide (CTAB)	C16	-	364,45	3,18
Anionic	Sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS)	C12	-	288,37	2.03
Large polar polyglucoside	Glucopon 215 UP	C8/C10	-	778–806	1.77

^aOctanol water partition coefficients taken from the safety data sheet of the corresponding chemical
^bMean calculated molecular weight