Ecofriendly Viscoelastic Solutions Formed from a Recyclable Rosin-Based Amine Oxide Surfactant

Innovations in molecular structures formed using bioresources are efficient means to prepare surfactant aggregates with unique properties. Here, a rosin-based amine oxide surfactant (R-11-3-AO) containing large hydrophobic groups was synthesized from rosin derivatives, namely, dehydroabietic acid and long-chain amino acids. Cryo-transmission electron microscopy showed that R-11-3-AO molecules formed extremely long wormlike micelles with a cross-sectional diameter of 4–5 nm at a concentration of approximately 7 mmol·L–1. A gel-like system was obtained at approximately 30 mmol·L–1 due to the dense entanglement of the wormlike micelles. The solutions also exhibited unique shear thickening behavior at a shear rate of approximately 10 s–1 even at high concentrations. The large hydrophobic group contained in R-11-3-AO is the origin of the strong van der Waals interactions between the surfactant molecules, resulting in the rapid growth of wormlike micelles. This rosin-based surfactant is the first recoverable amine oxide surfactant from solutions through the salting-out effect with high recovery rates. This work demonstrates the unique capabilities of rosin-based surfactants for forming wormlike micelles and provides opportunities for the development of surfactant recovery technologies.