Bio-based Amphiphilic Leachates from Coconut (Cocos Nucifera L.) Pedicels Waste as an Eco-Friendly Alternative Detergent

Contamination of aquatic ecosystems by synthetic surfactants has been an ongoing problem, with the focus this decade shifting to natural materials as cleaning agents, as saponin extraction and purification are slow and costly—thus urgently requiring alternative natural cleaning materials. This study introduces new sources and methods, utilizing charcoal as an extractant through boiling to obtain its filtrate. Testing and characterization demonstrate adequate surfactant and detergency properties. While, this study is the first to determine the emulsifier capacity, cleaning power, CMC value, material isolate, and contamination value of natural amphiphilics derived from coconut pedicels charcoal boiling filtrate. In oil-in-water emulsion stability tests with a 160-minute standing time, the natural amphiphilic demonstrated 50.46% stability, whereas synthetic LAS exhibited only 18.30% stability. Furthermore, the emulsion turbidity reduction rate with LAS was 2.5 times faster than with the natural amphiphilic. When tested for cleaning ability using simulated dirt, it achieved 97.11% cleaning power, indicating a high reduction in surface tension in water, as evidenced by a decrease in viscosity as measured by CMC. Characterization of natural amphiphilic filtrate isolates using infrared spectroscopy to detect the presence of chemical functional groups that act as surface-active agents, and contamination values were below the thresholds. This positions it as a potential environmentally friendly detergent ingredient and opening up new uses for coconut stalk waste.