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 6 2021
Accepted
13 9 2021
First published
20 9 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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