A process for preparing guanidino-functional, free radically polymerizable compounds comprises (a) combining (1) an amine compound comprising (i) at least one primary aliphatic amino group and (ii) at least one secondary aliphatic amino group, primary aromatic amino group, or secondary aromatic amino group, and (2) a guanylating agent; (b) allowing or inducing reaction of the amine compound and the guanylating agent to form a guanylated amine compound; (c) combining (1) the guanylated amine compound, and (2) a reactive monomer comprising (i) at least one ethylenically unsaturated group and (ii) at least one group that is reactive with an amino group; and (d) allowing or inducing reaction of the guanylated amine compound and the reactive monomer to form a guanidino-functional, free radically polymerizable compound.

Multi-surfactant systems where two or more surfactant molecules are coupled to control the spatial distribution of polar groups of the combined surfactant molecules are disclosed. The system can be implemented by an aqueous medium including an associate charge constant surfactant and charge variable surfactant. The charge variable surfactant has at least one neutral end group at one pH value of the medium and at least one either an anionic polar group or a cationic polar group at a different pH value of the medium. The charge constant surfactant has at least one, and preferably two or more groups that does not change charge at the one or different pH values of the aqueous medium. The multi-surfactant system can be coupled or connected to the surface of a substrate where the arrangement of the two or more coupled surfactant molecules control the polarity of the substrate surface.

Multi-surfactant systems where two or more surfactant molecules are coupled to control the spatial distribution of polar groups of the combined surfactant molecules are disclosed. The system can be implemented by an aqueous medium including an associate charge constant surfactant and charge variable surfactant. The charge variable surfactant has at least one neutral end group at one pH value of the medium and at least one either an anionic polar group or a cationic polar group at a different pH value of the medium. The charge constant surfactant has at least one, and preferably two or more groups that does not change charge at the one or different pH values of the aqueous medium. The multi-surfactant system can be coupled or connected to the surface of a substrate where the arrangement of the two or more coupled surfactant molecules control the polarity of the substrate surface.