可持续生产再生资源表面活性剂的国际研究进展

The Global Research Progress on Sustainable Production of Surfactants from Renewable Resources

表面活性剂是重要的化学产品,作为乳化剂和界面改性剂应用于家用洗涤剂、个人护理产品、油漆和涂料、食品、化妆品和制药工业中。聚焦表面活性剂在研究和开发方面取得的最新国际进展,尤其以改善其在整个生命周期的生态可持续性,包括以再生资源为原料的衍生物、使用绿色制造原则生产、以及在消费者使用和处置过程中提高生物相容性和生物降解性。生物基表面活性剂来源于植物油、多糖、蛋白质、磷脂和其他可再生资源,目前约占表面活性剂市场的24%,这一比例预计还将增加,特别是在亚洲。可再生能源的使用对消费者很有吸引力,因为这能减少二氧化碳(一种与气候变化有关的温室气体)的产生。酶可以通过减少有机溶剂、水和能源的使用,减少副产品和废物的形成,大大提高工艺的可持续性。在用于合成表面活性剂的生物酶中,脂肪酶是最强效的,因其具有较高的生物催化活性、操作稳定性和形成或切割酯、酰胺和硫代酯键的能力。为了使酶成为表面活性剂的强效催化剂,需对其进一步研究开发,以提高催化生产率、稳定性和降低其购买成本。

Surfactants are important chemical products,serving as emulsifiers and interfacial modifiers in the household detergents,personal care products,paints and coatings,foods,cosmetics,and pharmaceuticals industries.This review focuses upon recent global advances in research and development to improve the ecological sustainability of surfactants throughout their life cycle,including derivation from renewable resources,production using green manufacturing principles,and improved biocompatibility and biodegradability during their consumer use and disposal stages.Biobased surfactants,derived from vegetable oils,polysaccharides,proteins,phospholipids,and other renewable resources,currently comprise approximately 24%of the surfactant market,and this percentage is expected to increase,especially in Asia.The use of renewables is attractive to consumers because of reduced production of CO2,a greenhouse gas associated with climate change.Enzymes can greatly increase process sustainability,through reduced use of organic solvent,water,and energy,and reduced formation of by-products and waste products.Among the enzymes being investigated for surfactant synthesis,lipases are the most robust,due to their relatively high biocatalytic activity,operational stability and their ability to form or cleave ester,amide,and thioester bonds.For enzymes to be robust catalysts of surfactants,further research and development is needed to improve catalytic productivity,stability and reduce their purchase cost.