Summary

The great majority of surface active compounds having 'Lipidic' character are either semi-synthetic or derived from fossil fuel sources. The contribution from lipid raw materials has increased over the past four decades and both sources are now recognized as essential. Surfactants in Lipid Chemistry: Recent Synthetic, Physical, and Biodegradative Studies contains contributions dealing with a variety of natural product, semi-synthetic and purely synthetic materials. The topics covered include the place of lipid natural resources in the synthesis of surfactants, both by organic chemical methodology and by enzymatic procedures, aspects of the physical properties of non-ionic and certain anionic surfactants and their involvement in detergency, and current knowledge of the biodegradation of anionic surfactants in the environment. Recent progress in phenolic glycolipid and lipid amino acid chemistry is also described. This book will be of interest to all those concerned with modern surfactant chemistry.