TERPENE ESTER SURFACTANTS

1 . A terpene alcohol ester surfactant compound of the general formula (I):

in free or salt form, wherein A is the core of a terpene alcohol or derivative thereof, and wherein R 1 is selected from hydrogen, carboxy (—COOH), carboxylato (—COO − ), and hydroxy (—OH), or wherein R 1 and the methine carbon to which it is attached (CH—R 1 ) form a carbonyl (—C═O); and wherein R 2 , R 3 , and R 4 are each independently selected from:

H, C 1 -C 12 alkyl, C 2 -C 12 alkenyl, C 2 -C 12 alkynyl, C 1 -C 12 alkoxy, C 2 -C 12 alkenyloxy, C 2 -C 12 alkynyloxy, C 5 -C 20 aryloxy, acyl (including C 2 -C 12 alkylcarbonyl (—CO-alkyl) and C 6 -C 20 arylcarbonyl (—CO-aryl)), acyloxy (—O-acyl), C 2 -C 12 alkoxycarbonyl (—(CO)—O-alkyl), C 6 -C 20 aryloxycarbonyl (—(CO)—O-aryl), C 2 -C 12 alkylcarbonato (—O—(CO)—O-alkyl), C 6 -C 20 arylcarbonato (—O—(CO)—O-aryl), carboxy (—COOH), carboxylato (—COO − ), carbamoyl (—(CO)—NH 2 ), mono-N-substituted C 1 -C 12 alkylcarbamoyl (—(CO)—NH(C 1 -C 12 alkyl)), di-N-substituted alkylcarbamoyl (—(CO)—N(C 1 -C 12 alkyl) 2 ), mono-N-substituted arylcarbamoyl (—(CO)—NH-aryl), halo (—F, —Cl, —Br, or —I), hydroxy (—OH), cyano (—C≡N), amino (—NH 2 ), mono- and di-N—(C 1 -C 12 alkyl)-substituted amino, mono- and di-N—(C 5 -C 20 aryl)-substituted amino, C 2 -C 12 alkylamido (—NH—(CO)-alkyl), C 5 -C 20 arylamido (—NH—(CO)-aryl), imino (—CR a ═NH where R a is selected from hydrogen, C 1 -C 12 alkyl, C 5 -C 20 aryl, C 6 -C 20 alkaryl, C 6 -C 20 aralkyl, etc.), alkylimino (—CR b ═N(alkyl), wherein R b is selected from hydrogen, alkyl, aryl, alkaryl, etc.), arylimino (—CR c ═N(aryl), where R c is selected from hydrogen, alkyl, aryl, alkaryl, etc.), nitro (—NO 2 ), C 1 -C 12 alkylsulfonyl (—SO 2 -alkyl), and C 5 -C 20 arylsulfonyl (—SO 2 -aryl);

wherein each of the aforementioned hydrocarbyl moieties of the preceding substituents, such as C 1 -C 12 alkyl, C 2 -C 12 alkenyl, C 2 -C 12 alkynyl, and C 5 -C 20 aryl, are each independently optionally further substituted by one or more groups selected from C 1 -C 12 alkyl, C 2 -C 12 alkenyl, C 2 -C 12 alkynyl, C 1 -C 12 alkoxy, C 2 -C 12 alkenyloxy, C 2 -C 12 alkynyloxy, C 5 -C 20 aryloxy, acyl (including C 2 -C 12 alkylcarbonyl (—CO-alkyl) and C 6 -C 20 arylcarbonyl (—CO-aryl)), acyloxy (—O-acyl), C 2 -C 12 alkoxycarbonyl (—(CO)—O-alkyl), C 6 -C 20 aryloxycarbonyl (—(CO)—O-aryl), C 2 -C 12 alkylcarbonato (—O—(CO)—O-alkyl), C 6 -C 20 arylcarbonato (—O—(CO)—O-aryl), carboxy (—COOH), carboxylato (—COO − ), halo (—F, —Cl, —Br, or —I), hydroxy (—OH), cyano (—C≡N), and amino (—NH 2 )

provided that, at least one of R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , or R 4 is a polar or ionic group (e.g., at least one of R 1 , R 2 , or R 3 is —OH, —COO − , or —COOH, or at least R 4 is or comprises a group selected from —OH, —COOH, —NH 2 , or —NO 2 .

2 . The compound of claim 1 , wherein A is the core of a terpene alcohol, or derivative thereof, wherein said terpene is a monoterpene, sesquiterpene, diterpene, sesterterpene, or triterpene.

3 . The compound of claim 1 , wherein A is the core of a terpene alcohol, or derivative thereof, wherein said terpene alcohol is selected from citronellol, isocitronellol, geraniol, nerol, menthol, myrcenol, linalool, thymol, a-terpineol, b-terpineol, g-terpineol, borneol, farnesol, nerolidol, and carotol.

4 . The compound of claim 3 , wherein said terpene alcohol is selected from citronellol, myrcenol, linalool, and farnesol.

5 . The compound of claim 1 , wherein said terpene alcohol, or derivative thereof, is fully saturated (e.g., said terpene alcohol is a fully saturated monoterpene derivative, e.g., an isodecyl moiety).

6 . The compound of claim 1 , wherein A is selected from the group consisting of:

7 . The compound of claim 1 , wherein R 1 is H.

8 . The compound of claim 1 , wherein R 1 is —OH.

9 . The compound of claim 1 , wherein R 2 , R 3 , and R 4 are each independently selected from H, C 1 -C 12 alkyl, carboxy (—COOH), carboxylato (—COO − ), and hydroxy (—OH), wherein said C 1 -C 12 alkyl is optionally further substituted by one or more groups selected from carboxy (—COOH), carboxylato (—COO − ), and hydroxy (—OH).

10 . The compound of claim 1 , wherein group A is an isodecyl group, e.g., selected from 2,4-dimethyloctan-2-yl, 2,6-dimethyl-octan-1-yl, 2,6-dimethyloctan-2-yl, 3,7-dimethyloctan-1-yl, and 3,7-dimethyloctan-3-yl, and optionally wherein R 1 is —H, R 2 is —H, R 3 is —H, and R 4 is —CH 2 COOH or —CH 2 COO − .

11 . The compound of claim 1 , wherein the compound is selected from the group consisting of:

optionally wherein any one or more groups COOH may exist as —CH 2 COO − ;

optionally wherein any one or more groups COOH may exist as —CH 2 COO − ; and

optionally wherein any one or more groups COOH may exist as —CH 2 COO − .

12 . A method of making the compound of claim 1 , wherein the method comprises the step of reacting a compound of the Formula A, with a compound of Formula B, or an ester, activated ester or acyl halide thereof, in a condensation reaction to form the compound of Formula I:

wherein substituents A, R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , and R 4 , are as defined in claim 1 .

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the reaction comprises a mixture of sulfuric acid and magnesium sulfate, optionally in a hydrocarbon solvent, such as heptane.

14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the reaction comprises adding a solid magnesium sulfate/sulfuric acid adduct as catalyst to a mixture of the compound of Formula A and the compound of Formula B, optionally without an additional solvent.

15 . A composition comprising a compound according to claim 1 , optionally in admixture with one or more pharmaceutically acceptable, cosmetically acceptable, or industrially acceptable excipients or carriers, for example, solvents, oils, surfactants, emollients, diluents, glidants, abrasives, humectants, polymers, plasticizer, catalyst, antioxidant, coloring agent, flavoring agent, fragrance agent, antiperspirant agent, antibacterial agent, antifungal agent, hydrocarbon, stabilizer, or viscosity controlling agent.