Design, synthesis and surfactant properties of perfluorobutyl-based fluorinated sodium alkanesulfonates

•Design and synthesis of perfluorobutyl substituted sodium alkane sulfonates from commercially available semi- and perfluorinated halides.•Key synthetic steps consist of radical addition, Upjohn dihydroxylation and Grignard reaction.•Surface tension properties were studied for new compounds and are comparable with those of PFOS.•New safer and alternative surfactants to non-biodegradable PFOS.