Polyanionic surfactants and methods of making and using thereof

A surfactant defined by Formula I below

• or a salt thereof, wherein
• HG represents a head group comprising a sulfonate moiety or a sulfate moiety;
• R1 represents a C7-C28 alkyl group, a C7-C28 alkylaryl group, a C7-C28 alkenyl group, or a C7-C28 alkenylaryl group,
• wherein each R1 group is substituted with from 1 to 3 pendant polycarboxylate moieties, and
• wherein each R1 group is optionally substituted with from 1 to 3 substituents selected from sulfonate moieties, hydroxy, alkoxy, or any combination thereof;
• n is an integer from 1 to 8;
• AO represents, individually for each occurrence, an alkyleneoxy group selected from an ethoxy group, a propoxy group, or a butoxy group;
• and
• w is an integer from 1 to 110.