Surface active hydroxamic acids. I. Preparation and properties of long‐chain alkyl[oligo(oxyethylene)] oxymethylenehydroxamic acids

For the development of surfactants having an ability to interact with metal ions, hydroxamic acids containing a long‐chain alkyl[oligo(oxyethylene)] group were prepared. Any hydroxamic acid with an octyl, decyl or dodecyl group was made readily soluble in water by introducing four oxyethylene units into the molecule. These water‐soluble hydroxamic acids had a micelleforming ability and acted as polyoxyethylene‐type nonionic surfactants under acidic and neutral conditions. Additionally, those compounds were found to form a water‐soluble complex with ferric ion at pH 2, and these complexes also showed surface active properties.