Advances in Research on Polyglycerol Fatty Acid Esters: Molecular Design, Nanoarchitectonics, and Advanced Applications.

The polyglycerol fatty acid esters (PGFEs) are a type of bio-based nonionic surfactant with excellent biocompatibility, biodegradability, emulsifying, wetting, antibacterial and other properties, widely used in food, cosmetics, pharmaceutical and other fields. Due to the diversity of polymerization degree, esterification degree of glycerol, and fatty acid chains (carbon chain length, straight and branched, saturated and unsaturated), the molecular structure of PGFEs can be regulated and the types of PGFEs are diverse. Therefore, it is crucial to explore their structure-property relationship and make the correct choice in practical applications. In this paper the influence of the molecular structure of PGFEs on their quality index, surface activity, self-assembly behavior was systematically reviewed. The emulsification, wetting, foam and antibacterial properties are introduced in detail. Furthermore, the application in regulating oil crystallization and active ingredient embedding is analyzed. By revealing the relationship between structure and function, it provides direction for the synthesis and application of PGFEs.