Mechanochemical Top-Down Production of Oligosaccharide-Based Surfactants from Cellulosic Biomass

Sugar-derived surfactants, such as alkyl glycosides, represent alternatives to synthetic surfactants. However, their structures are often built upon small monosaccharide moieties, resulting in limited hydrophilicity and constrained functional performance. In this work, we address this limitation by introducing a “top-down” mechanochemical strategy to produce oligosaccharide-derived surfactants via partial alcoholysis directly from cellulose and even raw biomass. By controlling the average degree of polymerization, we achieve tunable surface properties in the resulting surfactants. Performance tests show comparable or improved oil dewetting, reduced irritation potential, and enhanced water solubility relative to conventional surfactants. Overall, this approach streamlines the synthetic procedure of oligosaccharide-derived biobased surfactants and allows tailoring of surfactant properties.