Biosourced surfactants are endeavored as a green alternative to biosurfactants and petrochemical surfactants
having industrial utilization. Nine glycolipids with headgroup and
chain length variation were derived from renewable resources like
vegetable oils, carbohydrates, and amino acids. The concentration-dependent
interfacial activity, foamability, wetting power, emulsification power,
and solubilization capacities of glycolipids were investigated to
provide a structure–activity relationship. Later, the metal
flotation and emulsification experiments were performed. In general,
for metal flotation, the surfactant should contain a hydrophobic tail,
hydrophilic head, and chelating function. In the present investigation,
it was observed that the headgroup of a glycolipid can serve as a
hydrophilic head as well as perform a chelating function. Moreover,
heat energy generated from the sunlight was utilized for metal flotation.
Additionally, these glycolipids are capable to form stable sunflower
oil–water (W/O and O/W) emulsions. The mechanical and thermal
stabilities and hydrophobic chain length dependency of the prepared
emulsions at different water volume fractions are explored. Furthermore,
encapsulation and release of water-soluble (riboflavin and l-ascorbic acid) and oil-soluble (curcumin and α-tocopherol)
bioactives in glycolipid emulsions were monitored. Thus, glycolipids
under investigation had shown the possibility for pretreatment of
chromium-containing wastewaters and bioactive-loaded emulsions toward the controlled release.