Issue 24, 2021

A class of surfactants via PEG modification of the oleate moiety of lactonic sophorolipids: synthesis, characterisation and application

Abstract

There is ever increasing demand to develop surfactants based on sophorolipids because they are produced by non-pathogenic organisms, biodegradable and less toxic to humans and the environment. Herein, commercially available lactonic sophorolipid was modified via epoxidation of the fatty acid units C[double bond, length as m-dash]C and subsequent ring-opening of the oxirane with poly(ethylene glycol) of vary chain lengths to deliver a novel range of non-ionic sophorolipid-based surfactants. The methods employed for ring-opening reaction lead to a final surfactant synthesis involving heterogeneous catalysis (metal-exchanged montmorillonite), use of a benign solvent (ethyl acetate) and short reaction time (60 minutes). The resulting surfactants were structurally characterised and a prediction of their potential applications achieved using the hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) concept, foam capacity and stability of the surfactants at 0.25% surfactant solution. This new family of bio-derivable non-ionic surfactants will be useful as wetting and solubilising agents, oil-in-water emulsifiers and detergents.

Graphical abstract: A class of surfactants via PEG modification of the oleate moiety of lactonic sophorolipids: synthesis, characterisation and application

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
25 iyn 2021
Accepted
13 sen 2021
First published
20 sen 2021
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Green Chem., 2021,23, 9906-9915

A class of surfactants via PEG modification of the oleate moiety of lactonic sophorolipids: synthesis, characterisation and application

J. K. Ogunjobi, C. R. McElroy, J. H. Clark, D. Thornthwaite, O. E. Omoruyi and T. J. Farmer, Green Chem., 2021, 23, 9906 DOI: 10.1039/D1GC02247D

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