Synthesis and foaming properties of new anionic surfactants based on a renewable building block: Sodium dodecyl isosorbide sulfates

► Synthesis of two anionic (sulfate) surfactants containing an isosorbide moiety as bio-sourced alternatives to the alkyl ether sulfates. ► Comparison of Krafft temperatures and critical micellar concentrations with pure SDS and LES also synthesized in this work. ► Very different aqueous properties of the two isomeric isosorbide surfactants: conformational effects imposed by the isosorbide moiety. ► 5-O-dodecyl isosorbide sulfate: most soluble and most efficient surfactant. Three-times lower cmc than SDS with comparable foaming properties.