CHLORHEXIDINE (DIGLUCONATE)

Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is a water-soluble chlorhexidine salt used as a cationic antiseptic, antimicrobial active, disinfectant ingredient, oral-care active, topical hygiene active, and veterinary antimicrobial component, and Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is valued for broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity and strong surface substantivity.
Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is commonly used in mouth rinses, dental gels, surgical scrubs, skin cleansers, wound-care products, hand washes, veterinary shampoos, disinfectant solutions, and hygiene formulations where controlled antimicrobial performance is required.
Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is typically supplied as an aqueous solution, often around 20% active content depending on grade, and Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) performance depends on active concentration, pH, purity, formulation vehicle, contact time, surfactant compatibility, salt level, preservative system, and regulatory classification.

CAS Number: 18472-51-0
EC Number: 242-354-0
Molecular Formula: C22H30Cl2N10·2C6H12O7
Molecular Weight: 897.76 g/mol

Synonyms: Chlorhexidine (Digluconate), Chlorhexidine Digluconate, Chlorhexidine Gluconate, Chlorhexidine Gluconate Solution, Chlorhexidine Bigluconate, Chlorhexidine D-Gluconate, CHG, Chlorhexidine Digluconate Solution, Chlorhexidine Gluconate 20%, Chlorhexidine Antiseptic Solution, Bisbiguanide Antimicrobial Gluconate, Cationic Antiseptic CHG, Chlorhexidine (Digluconate), Chlorhexidine Digluconate, Chlorhexidine Gluconate, CHG, Chlorhexidine Gluconate Solution, Chlorhexidine Digluconate Solution, Chlorhexidine D-Gluconate, Chlorhexidine Di-D-Gluconate, Chlorhexidine Bis(D-gluconate), Chlorhexidine Bisgluconate, Chlorhexidine Gluconate Salt, Chlorhexidine Digluconate Salt, Chlorhexidine Gluconate Aqueous Solution, Chlorhexidine Digluconate Aqueous Solution, Aqueous Chlorhexidine Gluconate, Aqueous Chlorhexidine Digluconate, Chlorhexidine Gluconate Liquid, Chlorhexidine Digluconate Liquid, Chlorhexidine Gluconate 20%, Chlorhexidine Digluconate 20%, Chlorhexidine Gluconate 4%, Chlorhexidine Gluconate 2%, Chlorhexidine Gluconate Antiseptic, Chlorhexidine Digluconate Antiseptic, Chlorhexidine Gluconate Antimicrobial, Chlorhexidine Digluconate Antimicrobial, Chlorhexidine Gluconate Antibacterial Agent, Chlorhexidine Digluconate Antibacterial Agent, Chlorhexidine Gluconate Disinfectant, Chlorhexidine Digluconate Disinfectant, Chlorhexidine Gluconate Biocide, Chlorhexidine Digluconate Biocide, Chlorhexidine Gluconate Oral Care Ingredient, Chlorhexidine Digluconate Oral Care Ingredient, Chlorhexidine Gluconate Dental Antiseptic, Chlorhexidine Digluconate Dental Antiseptic, Chlorhexidine Gluconate Skin Antiseptic, Chlorhexidine Digluconate Skin Antiseptic, Chlorhexidine Gluconate Surgical Scrub Ingredient, Chlorhexidine Digluconate Surgical Scrub Ingredient, Chlorhexidine Gluconate Wound Care Ingredient

APPLICATIONS

Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is used in topical antiseptic products to reduce microbial contamination on skin and external surfaces.
Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is incorporated into surgical scrubs, hand washes, skin cleansers, and pre-operative skin preparations where persistent antimicrobial activity is required.
Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is used in healthcare hygiene formulations where broad antibacterial activity and residual surface effect are important.

Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is used in oral-care formulations to reduce oral microbial load and support gum-health applications.
Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is incorporated into mouth rinses, dental gels, oral sprays, periodontal products, and professional dental preparations.
Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is used in oral hygiene products only at controlled concentrations according to pharmaceutical, dental, cosmetic, or medical-device regulations.

Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is used in wound-care and dermatological preparations where antimicrobial protection is required.
Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is incorporated into topical solutions, creams, gels, cleansing liquids, wipes, and medicated dressings depending on product approval and intended use.
Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is used in skin-contact products where irritation, allergic reaction potential, and compatibility must be carefully evaluated.

Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is used in veterinary care products as an antimicrobial active in shampoos, rinses, sprays, wipes, and topical preparations.
Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is incorporated into animal-care formulations where antimicrobial hygiene, odor control, and topical cleansing are needed.
Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is used in veterinary systems according to animal species, exposure route, product classification, and local regulatory requirements.

Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is used in disinfectant and preservative-support systems where cationic antimicrobial activity is compatible with the formula.
Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is incorporated into specialty antimicrobial preparations where water solubility and persistent surface activity are needed.
Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is valued because Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) provides water-soluble chlorhexidine activity, broad antimicrobial performance, cationic surface binding, and formulation flexibility across oral-care, topical, veterinary, hygiene, and disinfectant applications.

Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is used as a broad-spectrum antiseptic active in skin-cleansing formulations.
Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is used to reduce microbial populations on intact skin before medical procedures.
Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is used in surgical hand scrubs for persistent antimicrobial activity.
Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is used in healthcare hand-wash products where prolonged skin substantivity is required.

Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is used in preoperative skin-preparation solutions.
Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is used to cleanse injection and catheter insertion sites.
Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is used in antiseptic wipes for localized skin preparation.
Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is used in applicator systems designed for controlled antiseptic delivery.

Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is used in wound-cleansing products when permitted for the intended application.
Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is used in selected wound dressings as an antimicrobial component.
Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is used in topical gels intended to reduce bacterial contamination.
Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is used in antimicrobial creams and lotions formulated for localized skin care.

Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is used in mouth rinses to help control dental plaque.
Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is used in dental products intended to support gingival hygiene.
Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is used in oral-care regimens following selected dental procedures.
Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is used in professional dental formulations requiring strong antimicrobial activity.

Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is used in dental gels for localized application to oral tissues.
Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is used in periodontal-care products under professional supervision.
Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is used to reduce microbial accumulation around dental appliances.
Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is used in oral-care research involving plaque-forming microorganisms.

Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is used in medicated shampoos for microbial control on the scalp.
Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is used in veterinary shampoos for cleansing animal skin and coats.
Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is used in veterinary sprays and wipes for localized antimicrobial care.
Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is used in animal-care products formulated under veterinary guidance.

Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is used in antimicrobial soaps for healthcare and institutional environments.
Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is used in hand-cleansing products for personnel exposed to frequent microbial contact.
Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is used in body-cleansing formulations intended for preoperative bathing.
Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is used in patient-care products requiring residual antimicrobial action.

Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is used in catheter-care products to help reduce surface contamination.
Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is used in antimicrobial dressings placed around vascular access sites.
Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is used in medical-device coatings designed to limit bacterial colonization.
Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is used in polymer matrices intended to release antiseptic activity gradually.

Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is used in healthcare formulations where skin compatibility and broad antimicrobial performance are important.
Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is used in infection-control research involving bacterial surface adhesion.
Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is used in comparative antiseptic studies against other topical antimicrobial agents.
Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is used in antimicrobial-performance studies involving healthcare-associated microorganisms.

Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is used in microbiology laboratories as a reference antiseptic.
Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is used in minimum inhibitory concentration testing.
Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is used in studies of bacterial membrane disruption.
Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is used in investigations of reduced susceptibility to antiseptic agents.

Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is used in analytical laboratories as a reference material.
Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is used in chromatographic methods for assay and impurity determination.
Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is used in stability studies involving pH, light, temperature, and packaging.
Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is used in antimicrobial-effectiveness testing of finished formulations.

Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is used in formulation development to optimize efficacy, mildness, and physical stability.
Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is used in compatibility studies with surfactants, polymers, salts, and excipients.
Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is used in quality control to verify concentration, pH, color, density, and related substances.
Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is used in batch-release testing of pharmaceutical and healthcare products.

Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is used in product-development trials for sprays, solutions, foams, gels, and wipes.
Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is used in regulated antimicrobial products requiring a water-soluble chlorhexidine salt.

DESCRIPTION

Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is the digluconate salt of chlorhexidine, a bisbiguanide antimicrobial compound containing two p-chlorophenyl groups connected through a hexamethylene chain.
Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is more water-soluble than chlorhexidine free base and is therefore widely used as an aqueous antimicrobial solution in pharmaceutical, oral-care, hygiene, and veterinary formulations.
Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) acts mainly by binding to negatively charged microbial cell surfaces, disrupting membrane integrity, and causing leakage of cellular contents.

Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) has broad antimicrobial activity against many Gram-positive bacteria, many Gram-negative bacteria, and selected yeasts, although activity varies by organism, concentration, formulation, contact time, and soil load.
Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is known for substantivity because cationic chlorhexidine can remain associated with skin, oral tissues, and other negatively charged surfaces after application.
Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is often preferred when formulators need a liquid chlorhexidine source with better aqueous compatibility than the hydrochloride or free-base forms.

Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) is incompatible with many anionic surfactants, soaps, phosphates, alginates, carbomers, and negatively charged polymers because these materials can reduce antimicrobial activity or cause precipitation.
Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) should not be used in sensitive medical contexts, internal tissues, eyes, ears, meninges, or high-risk applications unless the finished product is specifically approved for that route.
Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) should be used according to pharmaceutical, dental, cosmetic, veterinary, medical-device, biocidal, and workplace safety regulations for the target market and product type.

PROPERTIES

Chemical Formula: C22H30Cl2N10·2C6H12O7
Molecular Weight: 897.76 g/mol
Common Name: Chlorhexidine (Digluconate)
Chemical Type: Chlorhexidine salt; bisbiguanide antimicrobial; cationic antiseptic; disinfectant active
Appearance: Clear colorless to pale yellow aqueous solution or solid salt form, grade dependent
Odor: Odorless to mild characteristic odor
Solubility: Freely soluble or highly compatible in water as aqueous digluconate solution; limited compatibility with many anionic systems
Ionic Character: Cationic under typical use conditions
Function: Antiseptic, antimicrobial active, disinfectant active, oral-care active, topical hygiene active, preservative-support ingredient
Typical Commercial Form: Aqueous solution, often approximately 20% active content, grade dependent
pH Behavior: Formulation dependent; activity and stability depend on final pH
Compatibility: Compatible with selected nonionic and cationic systems; incompatible with many anionic surfactants, soaps, phosphates, alginates, carbomers, and negatively charged polymers
Activity Profile: Broad antibacterial activity, formulation dependent
Substantivity: High surface binding and persistent antimicrobial effect in suitable formulations
Reactivity: Incompatible with strong oxidizers and many anionic materials
Stability: Stable under recommended storage; protect from heat, light, contamination, and incompatible ingredients
Storage Temperature: 15–30°C, tightly closed, protected from freezing and excessive heat
Shelf Life: Typically 24–60 months in original sealed packaging, supplier dependent

FIRST AID

Inhalation:
Move to fresh air if mist, aerosol, or vapor from concentrated solution is inhaled.
Seek medical attention if coughing, respiratory irritation, wheezing, or breathing discomfort occurs.
Avoid further exposure until mist or aerosol control and ventilation are confirmed.

Skin Contact:
Remove contaminated clothing and wash skin thoroughly with soap and water.
Seek medical advice if irritation, redness, itching, rash, or allergic reaction develops.
Wash contaminated clothing before reuse.

Eye Contact:
Rinse cautiously with water for at least 15 minutes.
Remove contact lenses if present and easy to do, then continue rinsing.
Seek medical attention promptly because concentrated Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) solution can cause serious eye irritation or damage.

Ingestion:
Rinse mouth with water and do not induce vomiting.
Seek medical attention or contact a poison center if swallowed.
Never give anything by mouth to an unconscious person.

Note to Physicians:
Treat symptomatically.
Monitor for irritation, allergic reaction, gastrointestinal effects, and possible systemic effects after significant exposure.
Provide supportive care as needed.

HANDLING AND STORAGE

Handling:
Use appropriate PPE including chemical-resistant gloves, safety glasses, protective clothing, and respiratory protection where mist or aerosol exposure may occur.
Avoid splashing, mist formation, and prolonged skin or eye contact during transfer, dilution, filling, and blending operations.
Use clean equipment to prevent contamination and maintain pharmaceutical, dental, cosmetic, or veterinary grade quality.

Ventilation:
Use general ventilation for normal liquid handling.
Use local exhaust ventilation where mist, aerosol, or spray exposure may be generated.
Avoid atomizing or spraying concentrated Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) without adequate exposure control.

Storage:
Store in tightly closed containers in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area.
Protect from freezing, excessive heat, direct sunlight, and microbial or chemical contamination.
Keep away from strong oxidizers, anionic surfactants, soaps, phosphates, alginates, carbomers, and incompatible reactive chemicals.

Spill and Leak Procedures:
Contain liquid spills with inert absorbent and restrict access to trained personnel.
Collect into suitable containers for reuse or disposal according to local regulations and facility procedures.
Prevent release to drains, soil, and waterways unless permitted by site procedures and local regulations.

Handling Precautions:
Confirm compatibility because Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) activity can be reduced by anionic surfactants, soaps, phosphates, carbomers, and negatively charged formulation ingredients.
Control concentration and regulatory status because Chlorhexidine (Digluconate) use limits differ between pharmaceutical, oral-care, cosmetic, veterinary, medical-device, and biocidal products.
Rotate stock using FIFO practices to maintain consistent active content, color, odor, pH, clarity, and antimicrobial performance.