MOHAMMED ZAKY, NABEL NEGM*
*Corresponding author
Egyptian petroleum research institute, Department of Petrochemicals, Nasr City, Cairo, Egypt

Abstract

This study describes the synthesis of novel nonionic Schiff base surface active agents containing phosphate group. The surface activities of these compounds were evaluated using surface tension measurements at 25^oC. The surface activity of the different surfactants depends on the hydrophobic chain length and the unsaturation degree. The evaluation of these compounds as antimicrobial agents showed high efficiency against different bacterial strains. The most interesting feature of these compounds is their applicability as biocide against sulfur reducing bacteria in the oilfield and petroleum sector.

INTRODUCTION

In a recent report by Nishikawa et al. (1), the microorganisms isolated from the soil exhibited resistance towards benzalkonium chloride. Russel and co-workers have (2) proposed two possible mechanisms for such resistance: the intrinsic and acquired resistances. The intrinsic resistance related to the structural and chemical composition of the outer layers of the cells, which may provide an effective barrier to the entry of antibacterial agents. The acquired resistance results from genetic changes in the bacterial cell and arises either by mutation or by the acquisition of genetic material from another cell. Extensive investigations in the field of Schiff bases have been reported (3-5). Antimicrobial and antifungal activities of various Schiff bases have also been reported (6). Sahu et al. (7) and Gawad et al. (8) synthesized several Schiff bases and observed high antimicrobial activities. Many Schiff bases are known to be medicinally important and are used to design medicinal compounds (9). Surface active schiff bases and their different metal complexes were found efficient antimicrobial agents against several bacterial strains (10). The an ...