Quaternary ammonium salt gemini surfactants containing perfluoroalkyl tails catalyzed one-pot Mannich reactions in aqueous media

A newly prepared quaternary ammonium salt (QAS) gemini fluorosurfactants efficiently catalyze one-pot Mannich reactions of aldehydes, amines and ketones in aqueous media at ambient temperature to afford corresponding β-aminocarbonyl compounds in good to excellent yields. In addition, the gemini fluorosurfactant catalysts were recovered and reused for three times with little loss of their catalytic activities.