Synthesis of Some Alkyl Polyglycosides

Abstract

Surfactants are indisputably more important today, in terms of their use in industry and daily life, as well as the tasks they perform. In recent years, due to the driving force of environmental concerns, orientations to alternatives of surfactants that cause less or no harm to the environment have accelerated. One of these trends is the synthesis of alkyl polyglycosides (APG) and their use in the detergent industry. In this study, different acidic catalysts were used for the synthesis of APGs and the highest yield was achieved with sulfuric acid. APGs with different carbon numbers were obtained using octanol, decanol, dodecanol, and octanol/cetyl alcohol (w/w 80/20). The FTIR spectra of the structures of APG products obtained with these fatty alcohols and some commercial APG products were compared, and their structures were elucidated. In addition, the foam quality of the obtained APGs and the hydrophilicity properties they impart to the textile material were compared with some commercial surfactants, and the results were interpreted and evaluated.