A series of rosin-based cationic gemini surfactants with different spacer length ( n = 2, 3, 4) were synthesized and characterized. Surface activity and micellization parameters including the critical micelle concentration, the degree of counterion dissociation, and thermodynamic functions of micellization in aqueous solutions have been investigated. Free energy perturbation was performed to study the enthalpy-entropy compensation of the synthesized gemini surfactants in aqueous solutions. The experimental results showed that the micellization of rosin-based gemini surfactants in aqueous solutions is a spontaneous and entropy-driven process. The micellization process was found to follow the entropy-enthalpy compensation phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]