ABSTRACT
A series of oil soluble surface active agents based on triethanolamine hydrochloride and alkylated phosphoric acid was synthesized and characterized as surface active agents. Transition metal complex of Cu[ll], Co[Il] and Fe[Ill] was synthesized throughout direct complexation between the transition metal ions and the synthesized surfactants. The chemical structures of these compounds were confirmed using elemental analysis, FTIR and [1] H-NMR spectroscopy. The synthesized compounds were oil soluble and comprise good interfacial tension and emulsion stability towards oil-water systems. The biological activity of the synthesized surfactants and their metal complexes was applied as biocides for different types of bacteria and fungi. The biocidal activity of these compounds showed good activity towards the studied microorganisms. The experimental results of the surface and biocidal activities were greatly influenced by the nature of the transition metal ions, as well as the hydrophobic chain length. A comparison between the influence of the metal ion type and the alkyl chain length on their biological activity was done