Carbohydrate-Based Surfactants: Structure-Activity Relationships

Abstract

The aim of the present contribution is: (1) to review CBS in terms of structural classification based on their molecular size (mono-, oligo-, polymeric surfactants), geometry (standard, bipolar or bolaform, and gemini surfactants), and the nature of the polar headgroup (charged or not, cyclic or not), the apolar tail (number and length of alkyl chain), and the linker (amide, ester, ...) and/or the spacer; (2) to present systematically results on structure- activity relationships of uronic acid derivatives (UADs), a particular class of carbohydrate-based surfactants. These concern the impact of each structural entity including the polar headgroup (stereochemistry), apolar tail (chain length, number, and unsaturation), and linkage/spacer, on the performance of UADs to change surface properties, and possibly, to form and stabilize colloidal systems.