ABSTRACT
I. INTRODUCTION For several reasons, saccharide-based surfactants have evoked increased interest over the last two decades. The postulated sustainable development of our civilization requires that the rate of depletion of nonrenewable resources, such as fossil fuels and minerals, should be slowed and as few potential resource options as possible should be excluded from consideration. This means that humanity's resource base must be conserved and enhanced [l]. In this context, biomass seems to be of great value as a feedstock for the chemical industry. The main constituents are mono-and polysaccharides, which together make up three-fourths of the world's biomass. It is estimated that about 400 billion tons of sugars is produced annually through natural photosynthesis; among them, cellulose takes first place (about 50 billion tons), and starch second [2]. Their major advantage over petrochemical feedstock is that they do not pose significant hazards in terms of acute or chronic toxicity to human health and the environment. This is why saccharide-based chemicals meet the environmental requirements for feedstock: they are biodegradable, biocompatible, and fulfill the principles of green chemistry [3].
