Surfactant



 Surfactants are compounds composed of a hydrophobic tail and a hydrophillic head. When introduced to water, the hydrophobic tails will tend to orient themselves on the surface and float. Surfactants are key ingredients in detergents and other dispersing agents.

Composition
 The tail of the surfactant is composed of an uncharged carbohydrate group that can be straight, branched, cyclic, or aromatic. The head can be composed of anionic, cationic, or non-ionic compounds.