Section: 6 | Surface Active Chemicals (Surfactants) |

How to Cite this Reference

SURFACE ACTIVE CHEMICALS (SURFACTANTS)

Thomas J. Bruno and Paris D. N. Svoronos

The following table provides the structure and properties of common surface active chemicals or surfactants (Refs. 1-2). These reagents are used industrially to decrease surface tension in many different applications, and they are used in the laboratory in many analytical and biochemical procedures, as well as consumer applications. In this way, the table complements many of the tables presented in Sections 7 and 8, in which these surfactants are incorporated in reagents. The table is arranged alphabetically according to chemical name, although the most common generic name or abbreviation is provided in bold type (unless the chemical name is also the most common name). The surfactant class is provided (anionic, cationic, or non-ionic). Anionic surfactants are molecules in which the hydrophilic moiety is a negatively charged group such as a sulfonate, sulfate, or carboxylate. Cationic surfactants are molecules in which the hydrophilic moiety is a positively charged group such as a quaternary ammonium ion. Non-ionic surfactants are molecules in which the hydrophilic moiety is uncharged, such as an ethoxylate. Another classification exists, though not represented here, called amphoteric surfactants, in which the ionic character is pH dependent.

When available, the melting and normal boiling temperatures are provided; if decomposition occurs before this state point is reached, this is indicated by the notation “dec.” The measured density of either the liquid or a solution is provided, along with temperature, whenever possible. The predicted density, while available for some surfactants in which measurements are unavailable, is not provided here.

When available, the critical micelle concentration (CMC), the concentration of the surfactant above which micelles spontaneously form, is provided. The preferred unit is mmol per liter (mmol L^-1), but in the case of mixtures, this is provided as a percent or ppm, usually on the basis of mass (mass/mass). The CMC is dependent on temperature, the ionic strength of the solution, and, to some extent, the measurement technique. For anionic and cationic surfactants, the CMC is reduced by increasing ionic strength, but temperature has a minor effect. For non-ionic surfactants, the CMC is relatively insensitive to ionic strength, but increases as temperature increases. For the CMC values given here, the temperature is provided whenever possible. If not specified, the temperature is to be regarded as ambient.

When available, the aggregation number is provided (Refs. 3 and 4). This is the mean number of surfactant molecules present in a micelle after the CMC has been reached. It is measured using luminescent probes by varying surfactant concentration and is dependent on temperature and the concentration of organic or ionic species present. The hydrophilic lipophilic balance (HLB) is provided when available. This is a fit-for-purpose property rather than a fundamental property, which has evolved in definition and determination since being devised, a matter beyond the scope of this entry. The HLB is a numerical scale between 0 and 20 descriptive of the tendency of a surfactant to be either hydrophilic or hydrophobic. A relatively high HLB (greater than 10) indicates hydrophilicity, or good water or polar solvent solubility. A relatively low HLB (lower than 10) indicates lipophilicity, or good solubility in nonpolar solvents such as oils or organics. The HLB changes with concentration and mixture composition.

Column definitions for the table are as follows.

Column heading	Definition
Name	Chemical name of surfactant; listed alphabetically; structure diagram is shown below name
Synonym	Common synonyms
Mol. form.	Molecular formula of surfactant, in Hill order
Mol. wt.	Molecular weight
t_b	Normal boiling point temperature (at 101.325 kPa), in °C
t_m	Melting point, in °C
ρ	Denisty, g cm^-3
CMC	Critical micelle concentration, in units mmol L^-1 (see discussion above)
Aggr. no.	Aggregation number (see discussion above)
HLB	Hydrophilic/hydrophobic tendency (see discussion above)
Sol. H₂O	Solubility in water

References

Lange, R. K., Surfactants: A Practical Handbook, Hanser Publishers, Munich, 1999.
Porter, M. R., Handbook of Surfactants, Blackie Academic and Professional, London, 1994.
Alargova, R. G., Kochijashky, I. I., Sierra, M. L., and Zana, R., Micelle aggregarion numbers and surfactants in aqueous solutions: a comparison between the results from steady state and time resolved fluorescence quenching, Langmuir 14, 5412-5418, 1998. [https://doi.org/10.1021/la980565x]
Technical Information Surface Chemistry, Akso Nobel, 2015. <http://surface.akzonobel.com>

Go to interactive table

Mobile-friendly table

Properties of Surfactants

Name	Synonym	Structure	Mol. form.	Mol. wt.	t_b/°C	t_m/°C	ρ/g cm^-3	CMC/mmol L^-1	Aggr. no.	HLB	Sol. H₂O	Soluble in	Notes
Anionic surfactants
Abietic acid	abietinic acid; sylvic acid; abieta-7,13-dien-18-oic acid (1R,4aR,4bR,10aR)-7-isopropyl-1,4a- dimethyl-1,2,3,4,4a,4b,5,6,10,10a-decahydrophenanthrene-1- carboxylic acid		C₂₀H₃₀O₂	302.451	439.5	173.5	1.06²⁵	2 at 25 °C			Insoluble	ethanol, acetone, ether, chloroform, and benzene	Natural product is primary component of resin acid of pine wood; used as bow rosin; used at high pH.
Bis(2-ethylhexyl) sodium sulfosuccinate	sodium dioctyl sulfosuccinate; dioctyl sulfosuccinate sodium salt; sodium 1,4-bis(2-ethylhexoxy)-1,4-dioxobutane-2-sulfonate; 1,4-bis (2-ethylhexyl) sodium sulfosuccinate; sulfosuccinic acid 1,4-bis (2-ethylhexyl) ester sodium salt; sulfobutanedioic acid 1,4-bis (2-ethylhexyl) ester sodium salt; dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate; colace; ex-lax; senokot; comfolax		C₂₀H₃₇NaO₇S	444.559	dec	155	1.1²⁵				15 g/L at 25 °C; 23 g/L at 40 °C; 30 g/L at 50 °C; 55 g/L at 70 °C	ethanol (20 g/L), chloroform (300 g/L), diethyl ether (300 g/L), petroleum ether (unlimited), glycerol, carbon tetrachloride, xylene, petroleum ether, acetone, and vegetable oils	Stable in acid and neutral solutions; hydrolyzes in basic media; used as emulsifier; dispersant, emulsifier, wetting agent, and laxative to treat constipation and earwax removal.
Deoxycholic acid	(3α,5β,12α,20R)-3,12-dihydroxycholan-24-oic acid; cholanoic acid; deoxycholate; deoxycholic; Pyrochol; Septochol(l)		C₂₄H₄₀O₄	392.573	dec	177		5 at 25 °C	22	17.6	0.24 mg/mL at 15 °C	ethanol (1 g/100 mL at 20 °C), acetone, ether, and chloroform	Readily dialyzable; used in a modified procedure to recover 40% - 80% of a protein; pK_a = 6.58; λ_max = 310 nm; specific rotation +55°; forms molecular coordination compounds; complexes with fatty acids; sodium salt is much more soluble (333 mg/mL in water at 15 °C), but its aqueous solutions precipitate at pH < 5.
Perfluorobutanesulfonic acid	FC-98; PFBS; nonaflate; 1,1,2,2,3,3,4,4,4- nonafluorobutanesulfonic acid; 1,1,2,2,3,3,4,4,4- nonafluorobutane-1-sulfonic acid; nonafluorobutanesulfonic acid; nonafluoro-1-butanesulfonic acid; nonafluorobutane-1-sulfonic acid; nonafluorobutanesulfonic acid; perfluorobutane sulfonate		C₄HF₉O₃S	300.1	211	≈80	1.811²⁵				reacts violently		Used as a replacement for perfluoroctanesulfonic acid stain repellent.
Sodium dodecyl sulfate	sodium lauryl sulfate, SDS, sodium monododecyl sulfate; sodium lauryl sulfate; sodium monolauryl sulfate; sodium dodecanesulfate; sodium coco-sulfate; dodecyl alcohol, hydrogen sulfate, sodium salt; n-dodecyl sulfate sodium; sulfuric acid monododecyl ester sodium salt		C₁₂H₂₅NaO₄S	288.380	dec	205	1.06²⁵	8.2 at 25 °C	62	40	200 mg/mL at 20 °C	ethanol	Aids in lysing cells during DNA extraction and for unraveling proteins in SDS-PAGE; low pK_a; can be used in pH as low as 4; can be prone to foaming.
Cationic surfactant
Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide	CTAB, CTABr, alkyltrimethylammonium bromide; HTAB; hexadecyl palmityltrimethylammonium bromide; palmityltrimethylammonium bromide		C₁₉H₄₂N	364.45	dec	240		0.92 – 1.00 at 25 °C	75-170	≈10	0.3 g/100 mL at 20 °C	alcohols, slightly soluble in acetone; insoluble in diethyl ether and benzene	Aids in high molecular mass DNA isolation and PCR analysis; titrant for perchlorate; phase transfer catalyst in arene and heterocycle reductions.
Ionic (amphiphilic) surfactant
Sodium lauroyl sarcosinate	sarkosyl; sarkosyl NL; sodium N-lauroylsarcosinate; sarcosyl; sarcosyl NL; maprosyl 30; sodium [dodecanoyl(methyl)amino]acetate; n-lauroylsarcosine, sodium salt; N-methyl-N-(1-oxododecyl)glycine, sodium salt; sodium-n-lauriyl sarcosinate		C₁₅H₂₈NNaO₃	293.378	dec	140					7.0% - 8.6% mass/mass		White powder (94%); pH 7.5-8.5 (10% sol); foam stabilizer; lubricant; corrosion inhibitor; bacteriostat; used in emulsion polymerization.
Non-ionic surfactants
Dodecyl-β-D-maltoside	n-dodecyl-beta-D-maltopyranoside; dodecyl 4-O-alpha-D-glucopyranosyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside; dodecyl B-D-maltopyranoside		C₂₄H₄₆O₁₁	510.62	dec	225	1.26²⁵	0.15 - 0.17 at 25 °C	70-140	≈10	soluble		Used to aid in the solubilization and isolation of hydrophobic membrane proteins to preserve their activity.
Ethoxylated tall oil	Ethofat242/25, Renex; Industrol TO 16HR; OKM; OKM (surfactant); OKM 10; OKM 12; OKM 50; OKM 60; OKM75; T 13; T 13 (emulsifier); Teric T 2	Mixture		945	dec		1.08²⁵^a	4^a at 25 °C		12.2	soluble		Derived from tall oil obtained from paper processing, can be used at wide range of pH.
Glycerol 1-dodecanoate, (±)-	glyceryl laurate, glycerol monolaurate; glycerol α-monolaurate; glycerin monolaurate; glycerol 1-laurate; glycerol 1-monolaurate; glycerol α- monolaurate; dodecanoic acid 2,3-dihydroxypropyl ester; 1-lauroyl-glycerol; monolauroylglycerin; 2,3-dihydroxypropyl dodecanoate; 2,3-dihydroxypropyl laurate; dodecanoic acid α-monoglyceride; 1-mono-dodecanoyl glycerol; lauricidin R; 1-monomyristin; imwitor 312; lauricidin 802; dimodan ML 90; monomuls L 90; monomuls 90L12		C₁₅H₃₀O₄	274.397	397	63.2					12.67 mg/L at 25 °C	methanol and chloroform (50 mg/L)	White fluffy semisolid; has shown both antibacterial and antiviral activity in vitro; used against some infections but clinical studies are incomplete; used in deodorants and in some cases as an emulsifier in food additives; used as a methane mitigation agent in ruminants.
Octyl-β-D-1-thioglucopyranoside	(1S)-octyl-β-D-thioglucoside; n-octyl-β-D-thioglucoside; OTG; (2R,3S,4S,5R,6R)-2-(hydroxymethyl)-6-octylsulfanyl-oxane-3,4,5-triol; (2R,3S,4S,5R,6R)-2-(hydroxymethyl)-6-(octylthio)tetrahydro-2H-pyran-3,4,5-triol; octylthioglycoside; octyl thioglycoside; octyl-β-D-thioglucopyranoside		C₁₄H₂₈O₅S	308.43	dec	128		9 at 25 °C			slightly soluble	ethanol (50 mg/mL)	Colorless powder; used for cell lysis and for solubilizing proteins without denaturing them; dialyzable.
Polyethylene glycol tert-octylphenyl ether	Octoxynol-9, Triton X-100, TX-100			647	270	6	1.07²⁵	0.24 - 0.27 at 25 °C	140	13.5	soluble	benzene, toluene, xylene, trichloroethylene, ethylene glycol, ethyl ether, ethanol, isopropanol, and ethylene dichloride	Non-ionic surfactant and emulsifier widely used for solubilizing membrane proteins and lysing cells; no antimicrobial properties; absorbs in the UV, so can interfere with protein quantitation.
Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaurate	Polysorbate 20; PEG(20) sorbitan monolaurate; Alkest TW 20; Tween 20		C₅₈H₁₁₄O₂₆	1227.54	dec		1.06²⁵	0.06 at 25 °C	62	16.7	soluble		Washing agent in immunoassay; lysing mammalian cells; used industrially in cleaning applications.
Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monooleate	Polysorbate 80; Alkest TW 80; Tween 80		C₆₄H₁₂₄O₂₆	1310	dec		1.07²⁵	0.01²⁵		13.4-15	soluble		Used to stabilize aqueous drug formulations; emulsifier for drugs; surfactant used in cosmetics and soaps, and in mouthwash, oily liquid.
Tergitol	secondary alcohol ethoxylate				dec		1.006²⁰	52 ppm (mass/mass)			soluble	chlorinated solvents and most polar organics (ethanol, acetone)	Pale yellow liquid; pH (1% aqueous solution) 7.1; chemically stable in the presence of dilute acids, bases, and salts; compatible with anionic, cationic, and other non-ionic surfactants; used in chemical analysis, high-performance cleaners and agrochemicals; member of the large Tergitol family of surfactants.

^aTypical value.

Entry Display

This is where the entry will be displayed

Other ChemNetBase Products

Cookie Policy

We have developed this cookie policy (the “Cookie Policy”) in order to explain how we use cookies and similar technologies (together, “Cookies”) on this website (the “Website”) and to demonstrate our firm commitment to the privacy of your personal information.

The first time that you visit our Website, we notify you about our use of Cookies through a notification banner. By continuing to use the Website, you consent to our use of Cookies as described in this Cookie Policy. However, you can choose whether or not to continue accepting Cookies at any later time. Information on how to manage Cookies is set out later in this Cookie Policy.

Please note that our use of any personal information we collect about you is subject to our Privacy Policy.

What are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files containing user IDs that are automatically placed on your computer or other device by when you visit a website. The Cookies are stored by the internet browser. The browser sends the Cookies back to the website on each subsequent visit, allowing the website to recognise your computer or device. This recognition enables the website provider to observe your activity on the website, deliver a personalised, responsive service and improve the website.

Cookies can be ‘Session Cookies’ or ‘Persistent Cookies’. Session Cookies allow a website to link a series of your actions during one browser session, for example to remember the items you have added to a shopping basket. Session Cookies expire after a browser session and are therefore not stored on your computer or device afterwards. Persistent Cookies are stored on your computer or device between browser sessions and can be used when you make subsequent visits to the website, for example to remember your website preferences, such as language or font size.

Cookies We Use and Their Purpose

We use three types of Cookies - ‘Strictly Necessary’ Cookies, ‘Performance’ Cookies and ‘Functionality’ Cookies. Each type of Cookie and the purposes for which we use them are described in this section. To learn about the specific Cookies we use, please see our List of Cookies.

1. Strictly Necessary Cookies

‘Strictly Necessary’ Cookies enable you to move around the Website and use essential features. For example, if you log into the Website, we use a Cookie to keep you logged in and allow you to access restricted areas, without you having to repeatedly enter your login details. If you are registering for or purchasing a product or service, we will use Cookies to remember your information and selections, as you move through the registration or purchase process.

Strictly Necessary Cookies are necessary for our Website to provide you with a full service. If you disable them, certain essential features of the Website will not be available to you and the performance of the Website will be impeded.

2. Performance Cookies

‘Performance’ Cookies collect information about how you use our Website, for example which pages you visit and if you experience any errors. These Cookies don’t collect any information that could identify you – all the information collected is anonymous. We may use these Cookies to help us understand how you use the Website and assess how well the Website performs and how it could be improved.

3. Functionality Cookies

‘Functionality’ Cookies enable a website to provide you with specific services or a customised experience. We may use these Cookies to provide you with services such as watching a video or adding user comments. We may also use such Cookies to remember changes you make to your settings or preferences (for example, changes to text size or your choice of language or region) or offer you time-saving or personalised features.

You can control whether or not Functionality Cookies are used, but disabling them may mean we are unable to provide you with some services or features of the Website.

First and Third Party Cookies

The Cookies placed on your computer or device include ‘First Party’ Cookies, meaning Cookies that are placed there by us, or by third party service providers acting on our behalf. Where such Cookies are being managed by third parties, we only allow the third parties to use the Cookies for our purposes, as described in this Cookie Policy, and not for their own purposes.

The Cookies placed on your computer or device may also include ‘Third Party’ Cookies, meaning Cookies that are placed there by third parties. These Cookies may include third party advertisers who display adverts on our Website and/or social network providers who provide ‘like’ or ‘share’ capabilities (see the above section on Targeting or Advertising Cookies). They may also include third parties who provide video content which is embedded on our Website (such as YouTube). Please see the website terms and policies of these third parties for further information on their use of Cookies.

To learn about the specific First Party and Third Party Cookies used by our, please see our List of Cookies.

Managing Cookies

You always have a choice over whether or not to accept Cookies. When you first visit the Website and we notify you about our use of Cookies, you can choose not to consent to such use. If you continue to use the Website, you are consenting to our use of Cookies for the time being. However, you can choose not to continue accepting Cookies at any later time. In this section, we describe ways to manage Cookies, including how to disable them.

You can manage Cookies through the settings of your internet browser. You can choose to block or restrict Cookies from being placed on your computer or device. You can also review periodically review the Cookies that have been placed there and disable some or all of them.

You can learn more about how to manage Cookies on the following websites: www.allaboutcookies.org and www.youronlinechoices.com.

Please be aware that if you choose not to accept certain Cookies, it may mean we are unable to provide you with some services or features of the Website.

Changes to Cookie Policy

In order to keep up with changing legislation and best practice, we may revise this Cookie Policy at any time without notice by posting a revised version on this Website. Please check back periodically so that you are aware of any changes.

Questions or Concerns

If you have any questions or concerns about this Cookie Policy or our use of Cookies on the Website, please contact us by email to [email protected]

You can also contact the Privacy Officer for the Informa PLC group at [email protected].