Surfactants for CO₂

For some 15 years the attainment of efficient, nonfluorinated CO₂-active surfactants has been a Holy Grail for researchers spanning pure and applied chemical sciences. This article tells the story of small-molecule CO₂-active surfactants, from the first tentative observations with fluorinated compounds in 1991 up to recently discovered fluorinefree oxygenated amphiphiles.