Monocatenary, branched, double-headed, and bolaform surface active carbohydrate esters via photochemical thiol-ene/-yne reactions Original Research Article

An original and versatile method for the synthesis of a range of novel mannose-based surfactants was developed via metal-free photo-induced thiol-ene/-yne ‘click’ reactions. This light-mediated hydrothiolation reaction involving a thiolated mannose was successfully applied to terminal and internal alkenes, dienes, and alkynes, leading to monocatenary, branched, double-headed, and bolaform amphiphilic carbohydrate esters, respectively. A surface activity study showed that these new compounds possess valuable properties and display specific behavior at the air–water interface. It also demonstrated the greater flexibility of the thioether moiety in the spacer of the surfactants produced via a thiol-ene reaction in comparison with the triazole heterocyclic rings in similar glucose-based surfactants synthesized elsewhere by the alkyne–azide 1,3-dipolar addition.