Glycine betaine as a renewable raw material to “greener” new cationic surfactants

Abstract

This article describes the synthesis, properties and potential applications of new cationic surfactants based on natural glycine betaine and vegetable oils as renewable raw materials. Convenient procedures were developed on a multigram scale using environmentally friendly starting materials to provide glycine betaine-derived esters and amides. Some readily biodegradable formulations containing ester-type surfactant were found to exhibit remarkable emulsifying properties for road making applications and they are now under industrial development using green solvent-free processes. Bipolar bolaamphiphiles possessing two cationic glycine betaine moieties were synthesized as monomers for the preparation of original drug delivery liposomal systems.

pH-Sensitive Surfactants from Lysine: Assessment of Their Cytotoxicity and Environmental Behavior

“…Usually, the introduction of an ester or amide linkage between the alkyl chain and the hydrophilic moiety improves the biodegradation of surfactants. 57 One of the strategies used by bacteria to access the carbon in surfactants is the initial separation of the hydrophilic group from the hydrophobic part (hydrophile attack). The amide linkage between the alkyl chain and the lysine is readily attacked by microorganisms and then the fatty acids follow the pathway of chain-shortening through fatty-acid β-oxidation 58 and microorganisms completely degrade the natural occurring lysine.…”

Interactions and hybrid complex formation of anionic algal polysaccharides with a cationic glycine betaine-derived surfactant

“…A surfactant is considered as readily biodegradable if the biodegradation level exceeds 60% within 28 days in this test. High biodegradation level (>70%) was reached with GB-derived surfactants that allowed these formulations to be classified as readily biodegradable (Goursaud et al, 2008). Some formulations containing these GB-derived surfactants were found to exhibit remarkable emulsifying properties for road making or other industrial applications (Goursaud et al, 2008).…”

New cationic vesicles prepared with double chain surfactants from arginine: Role of the hydrophobic group on the antimicrobial activity and cytotoxicity

“…Usually, the introduction of an ester or amide linkage between the alkyl chain and the hydrophilic moiety improves the biodegradation of surfactants [17].…”