Synthesis of water-soluble surfactants using catalysed condensation polymerisation in green reaction media

Goddard, Amy R.; Apebende, Edward A.; Lentz, Joachim C.; Carmichael, Kim; Taresco, Vincenzo; Irvine, Derek J.; Howdle, Steven M.

Abstract

Sustainable and biobased surfactants are required for a wide range of everyday applications. Key drivers are cost, activity and efficiency of production. Polycondensation is an excellent route to build surfactant chains from bio-sourced monomers, but this typically requires high processing temperatures (≥200 °C) to remove the condensate and to lower viscosity of the polymer melt. In addition, high temperatures also increase the degree of branching and cause discolouration through the degradation of sensitive co-initiators and monomers. Here we report the synthesis of novel surface-active polymers from temperature sensitive renewable building blocks such as dicarboxylic acids, polyols (D-sorbitol) and fatty acids. We demonstrate that the products have the potential to be key components in renewable surfactant design, but only if the syntheses are optimised to ensure linear chains with hydrophilic character. The choice of catalyst is key to this control and we have assessed three different approaches. Additionally, we also demonstrate that use of supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) can dramatically improve conversion by reducing reaction viscosity, lowering reaction temperature, and driving condensate removal. We also evaluate the performance of the new biobased surfactants, focussing upon surface tension, and critical micelle concentration.

Citation

Goddard, A. R., Apebende, E. A., Lentz, J. C., Carmichael, K., Taresco, V., Irvine, D. J., & Howdle, S. M. (2021). Synthesis of water-soluble surfactants using catalysed condensation polymerisation in green reaction media. Polymer Chemistry, https://doi.org/10.1039/d1py00415h

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Apr 26, 2021
• Online Publication Date: Apr 26, 2021
• Publication Date: Apr 26, 2021
• Deposit Date: Apr 29, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: May 4, 2021
• Journal: Polymer Chemistry
• Print ISSN: 1759-9954
• Electronic ISSN: 1759-9962
• Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/d1py00415h
• Keywords: Organic Chemistry; Biochemistry; Bioengineering; Polymers and Plastics
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/5497916
• Publisher URL: https://pubs.rsc.org/en/Content/ArticleLanding/2021/PY/D1PY00415H#!divAbstract