Recent advances in synthesis of carbohydrate-based surfactants: Comprehensive review and future perspective

This review aims to explore the rapid development of carbohydrate-based surfactants (CBS) as sustainable, biocompatible, and eco-friendly alternatives to conventional petrochemical-derived surfactants. It aims to assess how CBS, derived from renewable resources, are redefining the landscape of surfactant technologies in the context of increasing global demand for environmentally responsible materials. The review presents a comprehensive analysis of recent innovations in the synthesis of CBS, focusing on strategies that utilize abundant carbohydrate-rich feedstocks such as cellulose, pectin, hemicellulose, and starch. It discusses the physicochemical principles underlying CBS design and examines current synthesis approaches, structural modifications, and functional performance trends. The findings highlight that the unique amphiphilic nature of CBS facilitates the formation of stable emulsions, micelles, and other self-assembled systems critical for industrial and biomedical applications. These advances demonstrate CBS's growing utility and versatility and underscore their potential as green, multifunctional materials poised to play a significant role in future sustainable technologies. This review concisely delves into the most recent synthetic developments in carbohydrate-based surfactants (CBS), particularly emphasizing molecular design strategies that exploit the inherent structural diversity and functionality of renewable carbohydrate feedstocks and also highlights emerging structure-function paradigms and delineates future directions for scalable, bio-based surfactant design in industrial and biomedical sectors.