Modified lignin biopolymer useful in cleaning compositions

A modified lignin polymer comprising:

• a randomly substituted lignin backbone having a structure
• comprising substituted lignin monomer residues and unsubstituted lignin monomer residues selected from the group consisting of substituted and unsubstituted residues of p-coumaryl alcohol, coniferyl alcohol, sinapyl alcohol, derivatives thereof, and mixtures thereof, wherein at least two or more of the hydroxyl groups on the randomly substituted lignin backbone have been substituted with R substituent groups,
• where p is an integer from 1 to 3, and each R substituent group is independently R substituent types selected from the group consisting of:
• quaternary nitrogen containing substituents R1 with a substitution weight percentage ranging from 0% to 75%, each R1 independently having a structure according to Formula II:
• where each R4 is selected from the group consisting of CH3, and linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated C2-C18 alkyl, R5 is a linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated C2-C18 alkyl chain or a linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated secondary hydroxy(C2-C18)alkyl chain;
• L is a linking group selected from the group consisting of —O—, —C(O)O—, —NR6—, —C(O)NR6—, and —NR6C(O)NR6—, where R6 is H or C1-C6 alkyl;
• y has a value of 0 or 1;
• and z has a value of 0 or 1;
• anionic substituents R2 with a substitution weight percentage ranging from 0% to 90%, each R2 independently having a structure according to Formula III:
• wherein R7 is an anionic group selected from the group consisting of carboxylate, carboxymethyl, succinate, sulfate, sulfonate, arylsulfonate, phosphate, phosphonate, dicarboxylate, and polycarboxylate;
• L′ is a linking group selected from the group consisting of —O—, —C(O)O—, —NR8—, —C(O)NR8—, and —NR8C(O)NR8—, where R8 is H or C1-C6 alkyl;
• a has a value of 0 or 1;
• and b is an integer from 0 to 18;
• alkoxy substituents R3 with a substitution weight percentage ranging from 0% to 90%, each R3 independently having a structure according to Formula IV:
• wherein e has a value of 0 or 1;
• f is an integer from 0 to 8;
• g is an integer from 0 to 50;
• L″ is a linking group selected from the group consisting of —O—, —C(O)O—, —NR1113 , —C(O)NR11—, and —NR11C(O)NR11—, where R11 is H or C1-C6 alkyl;
• each R9 is the group ethylene, propylene, butylene, or mixtures thereof;
• and R10 is an end group selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C1-C20 alkyl, hydroxy, —OR1 and —OR2;
• and
• combinations of any thereof,
• provided that the randomly substituted lignin backbone comprises at least two different R substituent types and wherein the modified lignin polymer has a weight average molecular weight ranging from 2,000 Daltons to 300,000 Daltons.

A method for making a cleaning composition comprising:

• adding a modified lignin polymer to the cleaning composition,
• wherein the modified lignin polymer has a randomly substituted lignin backbone comprising:
• substituted lignin monomer residues and unsubstituted lignin monomer residues, wherein at least two or more of the hydroxyl groups on the randomly substituted lignin backbone have been substituted with R substituent groups, wherein each R substituent group is independently an R substituent type selected from the group consisting of nitrogen containing substituents R1 with a substitution weight percentage ranging from 0% to 75%, anionic substituents R2 with a substitution weight percentage ranging from 0% to 90%, alkoxy substituents R3 with a substitution weight percentage ranging from 0% to 90%, and combinations of any thereof, provided that the randomly substituted lignin backbone comprises at least two different R substituent types;
• wherein the modified lignin polymer has a weight average molecular weight ranging from 2,000 Daltons to 300,000 Daltons.