Corrosion and gas hydrate inhibitors having improved water solubility and increased biodegradabilityThe invention thus provides the use of compounds of the formula (1) ##STR00001## where R.sup.1, R.sup.2 are each independently C.sub.1- to C.sub.22-alkyl, C.sub.2- to C.sub.22-alkenyl, C.sub.6- to C.sub.30-aryl or C.sub.7- to C.sub.30-alkylaryl, R.sup.3 is C.sub.1- to C.sub.22-alkyl, C.sub.2- to C.sub.22-alkenyl, C.sub.6- to C.sub.30-aryl or C.sub.7- to C.sub.30-alkylaryl, --CHR.sup.5--COO.sup.- or --O.sup.-, R.sup.4 is M, hydrogen or an organic radical which optionally contains heteroatoms and has from 1 to 100 carbon atoms, B is an optionally substituted C.sub.1- to C.sub.10-alkylene group, D is an ethylene group substituted by an organic radical having from 1 to 600 carbon atoms, X, Y are each independently O or NR.sup.6, R.sup.5, R.sup.6 are each independently hydrogen, C.sub.1- to C.sub.22-alkyl, C.sub.2- to C.sub.22-alkenyl, C.sub.6- to C.sub.30-aryl or C.sub.7- to C.sub.30-alkylaryl, and M is a cation as corrosion and gas hydrate inhibitors, and also the compounds of formula 1.