Novel quaternary ammonium salts derived from triglycerides and their application in skin and hair products

Abstract

An investigation has been carried out into the synthesis of quaternary ammonium salts of triglycerides. The aim of this work was to produce such compounds without breaking the triglyceride skeleton. The reaction of chloracetyl chloride with the triglyceride of ricinoleic acid which is the major constituent (88–90%) of castor oil gave an intermediate derivative with pendant chloro groups. Quaternization with stearyl dimethylamine gave a 98% yield of a quaternary ammonium salt containing three quaternary groups per molecule. This reaction sequence overcame the steric hindrance problems encountered in unsuccessful attempts to quaternize halogen groups attached directly to the main chain. Using the same procedure, a quaternary salt was prepared from castor oil. In skin care studies this quaternary was used at a low level in a moisturizing lotion. Subjective assessment of the ease of application of the test lotion versus control was significantly in favour of the test. Viscoelastic measurements of the skin were made using two techniques before and after application of the lotion. Both showed an advantage to the test lotion. No difference between the test and control lotions was found when sebum levels and transepidermal water loss measurements were measured. A C-12 quaternary synthesized from dimethyl-dodecylamine exhibited antimicrobial activity. An aqueous dispersion of the C-18 quaternary when applied to bleached hair in order to improve combing, gave excellent results showing superiority to four other commercially available quaternary ammonium salts.