Amphoteric surfactants were synthesized by the cyclization of 1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-undecyl-2-imidazoline [I] with acrylic acid ethyl ester. Compound [I] was easily hydrolyzed with water, especially in the presence of a alkali, to afford amidoamines. After [I] was hydrolyzed, the reaction mixture was allowed to react with acrylic acid ethyl ester and then soapoinfied. Only sodium salts of N- -(2-carboxyethyl)-N'-(2-hydroxyethyl)aminoethyl]dodecanoyl amide[III] was obtained. However, when the reacton of [I] with acrylic acid ethyl ester was carried out in the presence of water, followed by soapnification, ring cleavage of [I] occurred at 2, 3 position, different from hydrolysis of [I] where the cleavage occurred at 1, 2 position, to give sodium salts of N-[N'-(2-carboxyethyl)aminoethyl]-N-(2-hydroxyethyl)dodecanoyl amide [IV] and N-[N', N'-bis(2-carboxyethyl)aminoethyl]-N(2-hydroxyethyl)dodecanoyl amide [V] as main products.