Betaine surfactant is one of the important branches of surfactants,which has many unique properties and has shown great industrial application value in many fields.In this paper,the research progress of betaine surfactants was reviewed from four aspects:structure and properties,synthesis methods,solution properties(including surface tension,interfacial tension,stability and antibacterial properties,etc.)and application(including fire extinguishing agent,wetting agent,antibacterial agent,antioxidant and anti-ultraviolet agent,etc.).