Alkyl-imidazolium glycosides: non-ionic—cationic hybrid surfactants from renewable resources

• Alkyl imidazolium glycosides are easily accessible hybrid surfactants.
• Alkyl imidazolium glycosides are highly water soluble surfactants.
• Alkyl imidazolium surfactants lower the water surface tension very effectively.
• Alkyl imidazolium surfactants prefer curved molecular assemblies.

A series of surfactants combining carbohydrate and imidazolium head groups were prepared and investigated on their assembly behavior. The presence of the imidazolium group dominated the interactions of the surfactants, leading to high CMCs and large molecular surface areas, reflected in curved rather than lamellar surfactant assemblies. The carbohydrate, on the other hand, stabilized molecular assemblies slightly and reduced the surface tension of surfactant solutions considerably. A comparative emulsion study discourages the use of pure alkyl imidazolium glycosides owing to reduced assembly stabilities compared with APGs. However, the surfactants are believed to have potential as component in carbohydrate based surfactant mixtures.

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