How sulfur oxidation states shape the behavior of sugar-based surfactant molecules

Amphiphilic sugar molecules, which contain a hydrophilic sugar head group and a hydrophobic segment such as an alkyl chain, can assemble in water depending on their concentration, forming hydrophobic microenvironments or organizing at interfaces. These properties constitute important fundamental phenomena related to detergents, emulsifiers, molecular assemblies, and the dispersion and delivery of drugs and functional molecules.