Reactive surfactants and their use in emulsions and dispersions

1. A reactive, crosslinkable polymeric surfactant, comprising:

(a) at least two hydrophilic monomeric units per molecule, each independently according to formula (I):

wherein:

R 1 is alkylene or oxyalkylene,

R 2 is H, methyl, or ethyl,

R 3 is H, and

n is greater than about 5, and

(b) one or more hydrophobic monomeric units per molecule, each independently according to formula (II):

wherein:

R 4 is H or methyl,

R 5 is a hydrophobic group,

wherein the polymeric surfactant comprises from about 20 to about 90 percent by weight monomeric units according to formula (I), from about 10 to about 80 percent by weight monomeric units according to forumula (II) and is water soluble.

2. The polymeric surfactant of claim 1 , wherein R 1 is methylene, R 2 is H, R 3 is H, and n is an integer from about 5 to about 100.

3. The polymeric surfactant of claim 1 , wherein R 1 is alkylene or oxyalkylene, R 2 is H, methyl, or ethyl, , R 3 is H, and n is greater than about 5.

4. The polymeric surfactant of claim 1 , wherein R 5 is R 6 or

and R 6 is alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, or aralkyl.

5. The polymeric surfactant of claim 1 , wherein the polymeric surfactant further comprises one or more monomeric units per molecule, each independently according to formula (III):

wherein

R 7 is H or methyl, and

R 8 comprises a reactive functional group, an ionic group, or a group comprising a reactive functional group and an ionic group.

6. The polymeric surfactant of claim 5 , wherein R 8 is alkenyl, aminoalkyl, hydroxyalkyl, glycidalalkyl, a quaternary ammonium salt group, an acid group, an acid salt group, or

or

and R 9 is H, aminoalkyl, hydroxyalkyl, glycidal alkyl, a quaternary ammonium salt group, an acid group, or an acid salt group.

7. The polymeric surfactant of claim 5 , wherein the polymeric surfactant comprises, up to about 30 percent by weight of monomeric units according to formula (III).

8. The polymeric surfactant of claim 5 , wherein the polymeric surfactant exhibits a weight average molecular weight of from about 1,000 to about 200,000 grams per mole.

9. The reactive surfactant of claim 1 , wherein the reactive polymeric surfactant comprises from about 40 to about 80 percent by weight hydraphilic monomeric units according to formula (I), and from about 20 to about 60 percent by weight hydrophobic monomeric units according to formula (II).

10. The reactive surfactant of claim 1 , wherein the reactive polymeric surfactant comprises from about 50 to about 70 percent by weight hydrophilic monomeric units according to formula (I), and from about 30 to about 50 percent by weight hydrophobic monomeric units according to formula (II).

11. The reactive surfacant of claim 1 , wherein the reactive polymeric surfacant exhibits weight average molecular weight of from about 2,000 to about 100,000 g/mol.

12. The reactive surfacant of claim 1 , wherein the reactive polymeric surfacant exhibits a weight average molecular weight of from about 5,000 to about 50,000 g/mol.