Amine oxides are among the most useful non-ionic surfactants in cleaning chemistry: strong grease removal, generous foam, excellent skin compatibility and reliable behaviour as a co-surfactant. The problem has never been the molecule class, it has been its origin. Almost all commercial amine oxides today trace back to petrochemical or palm-derived fatty alcohols. PureSurf builds the same functional class from renewable European side streams.
- Class
- Non-ionic amine oxide
- CMC
- 80.7 ppm
- Aquatic toxicity
- 14× lower (F Pro), 57× lower (F Eco)
- Biodegradation
- Readily biodegradable, OECD 301F (GLP)
What an amine oxide is, chemically
An amine oxide carries a tertiary amine head group oxidised to an N-oxide, attached to a long alkyl chain. The N-oxide bond is strongly polar without carrying a permanent charge, which is why amine oxides behave as non-ionics at neutral pH and pick up cationic character under acidic conditions.
That pH-dependent behaviour makes them unusually versatile. In a neutral dish detergent they boost foam and grease cutting. In an acidic bathroom cleaner they contribute substantivity and help the formulation cling to vertical surfaces.
The bio-based synthesis route
PureSurf produces amine oxides on its PureSynth platform, converting renewable European building blocks into surfactant actives through a catalytic, solvent-lean process. The feedstock base is deliberately palm-free and does not compete with food production.
Because the resulting molecule is functionally equivalent to established amine oxides, it enters existing formulations without a redesign: same handling, same compatibility profile, same role in the recipe.
- Renewable European feedstock, no palm oil, no fossil alkyl chain.
- Catalytic process scaled from laboratory grams to 50 kg per batch.
- 175+ novel compounds screened to select the commercial grades.
- Protected by 4 patent families across 8+ jurisdictions, FTO clean.
Performance and safety data
The commercial grades are NEXOVANT F Pro and NEXOVANT F Eco. Both were characterised against conventional amine oxide benchmarks under GLP conditions rather than in-house shortcuts.
| CMC | 80.7 ppm, up to 10× lower than benchmark amine oxides |
|---|---|
| Interfacial tension | Up to 8× lower than benchmark surfactants |
| Aquatic toxicity, F Pro | 14× lower (EC50, Aliivibrio fischeri, ISO 11348-3:2007, 30 min, GLP) |
| Aquatic toxicity, F Eco | 57× lower (EC50, Aliivibrio fischeri, ISO 11348-3:2007, 30 min, GLP) |
| Algal toxicity | Up to 96 % lower (GLP) |
| Biodegradation | Readily biodegradable, OECD 301F (GLP) |
| Mutagenicity | Confirmed non-mutagenic, OECD 471 (GLP) |
| Skin corrosion | Not corrosive to skin, OECD 431 (GLP) |
| Classification | Aquatic Cat. 2 (GLP) |
Using it as a drop-in
A drop-in claim only counts if it survives contact with a real formulation. In practice, teams start by matching the active content of the incumbent amine oxide, then run a dose-reduction ladder, because the lower CMC usually allows a smaller charge for the same result.
Stability, viscosity response and foam profile should be re-checked after any dose change, particularly in electrolyte-heavy or high-pH systems. PureSurf supplies technical data sheets and supports evaluation trials directly with the formulation team.
Frequently asked questions
Can bio-based amine oxide replace a fossil amine oxide one to one?
Functionally yes. NEXOVANT is designed as a drop-in for existing amine oxide positions. Because its CMC is lower, most formulations can additionally reduce the dose after a short optimisation trial.
Is NEXOVANT palm-free?
Yes. The feedstock base is renewable European material and contains no palm oil or palm kernel derivatives.
What toxicity improvement is documented?
NEXOVANT F Pro shows 14× lower and NEXOVANT F Eco 57× lower aquatic toxicity than conventional amine oxide benchmarks (EC50, Aliivibrio fischeri, ISO 11348-3:2007, 30 min, GLP).
