Abstract:
Compounds of the formula A-D-(OC2H4)x-(O-Alk)y-(OC2H4)z-OR, wherein A denotes a straight-chained or branched alkyl or alkenyl group containing 1 to 18 carbon atoms, a phenyl group, a phenyl-alkenyl group wherein the alkenyl moiety contains 1 to 4 carbon atoms, a polycyclic group containing 9 to 14 carbon atoms, a polyol, alkoxy group, or hydrogen; B denotes phenoxy, oxy, phenyl, a linear or branched alkyl or alkenyl group, an amino group, or a carbonyl group; x is 0 - 10; y is 1 - 10; z is 0 - 100; each (O-Alk) denotes straight-chained or branched propoxy, butoxy or substituted oxirane; and R is hydrogen, sulfate, sulfonate, monophosphate, diphosphate, carboxylate, monosulfosuccinate, disulfosuccinate, or a salt thereof, are useful as surfactants per se and in any application in which the corresponding purely ethoxylated surfactants are useful, and have been found to exhibit reduced or no estrogenicity in themselves and their degradation products.