Development of amino acid-based surfactants: from synthesis to applications

Review article, 2025

The diversity of both natural and non-natural amino acids provides a strong foundation for the synthesis of a wide array of surfactants and offers the possibility to control the interactions at interfaces and within self-assembly processes. This review provides an overview of the latest developments of amino acid-based surfactant over the past decade, with a particular focus on the past five years. A detailed overview of the synthesis is first given, and physicochemical properties of surfactants derived from both standard amino acids, and non-natural amino acids are discussed. From enhancing foaming to controlling rheological properties, these surfactants meet a wide range of application-specific requirements. This is illustrated in various fields, such as drug delivery or mineral ore flotation. Although single amino acid derivatives have been deeply explored, surfactants based on multiple amino acids are also discussed for the new possibilities in self-assembly and potential various applications they offer.