Surfactants synthesized using green chemistry methodology and derived from renewable resources have become a major research focus. Here we present a new approach for converting readily available polysaccharides (specifically pectin and pectic acid) derived from fruit waste into safely biodegradable surface-active polymers. Detailed structural characterizations of the products, along with surface and interfacial properties of these surfactants will be presented. To establish the overall safety of these polysaccharide-based surfactants, results of detailed cytotoxicity evaluations using human dermal fibroblast (HDF) will be presented. Biodegradation studies of these pectin-based surfactants in accordance to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) guidelines also will be presented. This research establishes new methodologies to develop safer and biodegradable surfactants from renewable feedstock using ‘greener’ synthetic methods which can be utilized in biomedical and clinical settings as well as for commodity applications such as laundry detergents.

Greener surface-active polymers from naturally occurring polysaccharides: Synthesis, characterization, cytotoxicity and biodegradability

254th National Meeting (2017)

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