Synthesis of Alkyl Polyglycosides From Glucose and Xylose for Biobased Surfactants: Synthesis, Properties, and Applications

This review is dedicated to lignocellulosic biomass and its two main components d-xylose and d-glucose as raw materials for the production of alkyl polyglycosides. Alkyl polyglucoside surfactants have been industrially developed since the late 1980s, and recent developments in the field of alkyl polyglycosides have focused on d-xylose-based equivalent molecules. Applications of alkyl polyglycosides and the preparation of glucose and/or pentose-based surfactants are discussed. The recent progresses on Fischer glycosylation and on the conversion of lignocellulosic polysaccharides into various alkyl glycosides are addressed. This paper provides also a discussion of various surfactant properties and their relationship to the process and the sugar-based material (xylans, lignocellulosic biomass, and d-xylose and d-glucose monomers). The application fields and the ecological profile of the alkyl polyglycosides are discussed.