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Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaurate (Polysorbate 20) is a polysorbate-type nonionic surfactant formed by the ethoxylation of sorbitan monolaurate.
Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaurate (Polysorbate 20)'s stability and relative nontoxicity allows it to be used as a detergent and emulsifier in a number of domestic, scientific, and pharmacological applications.
As the name implies, the ethoxylation process leaves the molecule with 20 repeat units of polyethylene glycol; in practice these are distributed across 4 different chains, leading to a commercial product containing a range of chemical species.
CAS: 9005-64-5
MF: C26H50O10
MW: 522.6692
EINECS: 500-018-3
Synonyms
Polisorbate 20- PS 20;Tween 20 (Trademark of ICI America, Inc.);Tween 20 ;Tween 20 1LT;Twain 20;TWEEN(R) 20 Vetec(TM) reagent grade, 40%;ACRYL/BIS 37.5:1 PREMIXED PWD ULTRA PURE;TWEEN 20 ELECTROPHORESIS GRADE;Polysorbate 20;Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaurate;7T1F30V5YH;Polyethylene glycol (44) sorbitan monolaurate;Polyethylene glycol (80) sorbitan monolaurate;Polyethylene glycol 4000 sorbitan monolaurate;Polyethylene glycol 500 sorbitan monolaurate;Polyoxyethylene (10) sorbitan monolaurate;Polyoxyethylene (44) sorbitan monolaurate;Polyoxyethylene (75) sorbitan monolaurate;Polyoxyethylene (80) sorbitan monolaurate;Polyoxyethylene 20 sorbitan monolaurate;FEMA No. 2915;POE 20 Sorbitan monolaurate;PSML;Polyethylene glycol 2000 Sorbitan Laurate;Polyoxyethylene (4) sorbitan monolaurate;Sorbimacrogol laurate 300;Sorbitan monolaurate, ethoxylated;20s, Polysorbate;Armotan pml-20;CCRIS 699;DTXSID3031949;Dxewmulse poe-sml;E-432;EC 500-018-3;Emsorb 6915;Glycosperse L-20;Glycosperse L-20X;HSDB 7824;Hodag psml-20;INS NO.432;INS-432;Liposorb L-20;PEG-20 SORBITAN;PEG-40 Sorbitan laurate;POLY(OXY-1,2-ETHANEDIYL) DERIVATIVE;POLYSORBATA 20;POLYSORBATE 20 (EP MONOGRAPH);POLYSORBATE 20 (II);POLYSORBATE 20 (MART.);POLYSORBATE 20 (USP-RS);Peg sorbitan laurate;Peg-20 sorbitan laurate;Poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl) derivatives;Polyoxyethylene (40) sorbitan laurate;Polyoxyethylene 20 laurate;Polysorbate 20s;Polysorbatum 20;Protasorb L-20;Sorbitan, monododecanoate, poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl) derivatives;Sorbitan, monododecanote, poly(oxy-1,2-ethanediyl) derivatives;Sorbitan, monolaurate, polyoxyethylene derivs.;TWEEN-20;UNII-239B50Y732;UNII-31JQ3WOL8T;UNII-4Z93U4C2WN;UNII-59IO08SBZU;UNII-7T1F30V5YH;UNII-I42X3Q0FMF
Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaurate (Polysorbate 20), whose common commercial names includes Alkest TW 20 and Polysorbate 20, is a mild nonionic surfactant formed by the ethoxylation of sorbitan before the addition of lauric acid which is a medium-chain fatty acid found mainly in coconut oil.
Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaurate (Polysorbate 20) is allowed to be used as the emulsifier, detergent, dispersant, solvent and stabilizer, etc. in a number of fields such as pharmaceutical, chemical, food, textile and other industries due to its stability and relative non-toxicity.
Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaurate (Polysorbate 20) is widely applied in biological techniques and sciences, which can be added to buffers and reagents for immunohistochemistry, such as Western blots and ELISAs, helping to prevent non-specific antibody binding, decrease background staining and enhance reagent spreading.
Besides, Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaurate (Polysorbate 20) also has applications in food production as a common food grade additive which are found in many consumables on the market today.
Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaurate (Polysorbate 20) can also be used as a wetting agent in flavored mouth drops such as Ice Drops, in oral or non-gastrointestinal suspensions and in rubber balers in the elastomer industry.
Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaurate (Polysorbate 20) is a polymer composed of PEG-ylated sorbitan, where the total number of poly(ethylene glycol) units is 20 (w + x + y + z = 20) and a single terminal is capped by a dodecanoyl group.
Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaurate (Polysorbate 20) is a surfactant and emulsifier used in cleaners and personal care products.
Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaurate (Polysorbate 20) is a hydrophilic nonionic surfactant generally used as emulsifiers, dispersing agent and solubilizer.
Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaurate (Polysorbate 20) is a polysorbate-type nonionic surfactant formed by the ethoxylation of sorbitan before the addition of lauric acid.
Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaurate (Polysorbate 20)'s stability and relative nontoxicity allows it to be used as a detergent and emulsifier in a number of domestic, scientific, and pharmacological applications.
Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaurate (Polysorbate 20) is a polysorbate-type nonionic surfactant used in many commercial, household and pharmaceutical products.
Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaurate (Polysorbate 20) is composed of 20 repeated units of polyethylene glycol via ethoxylation.
Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaurate (Polysorbate 20) is a wetting agent in food products, as well as washing agent, stabilizer and solubilizer in labratory assays and industrial applications.
Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaurate (Polysorbate 20) is also an excipient that stabilizes emulsions and suspensions in pharmaceutical products and lubricant in ophthalmic solutions.
Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaurate (Polysorbate 20) Chemical Properties
Melting point: 98.9 °C (decomp)
Boiling point: 100 °C
Density: 1.11 g/mL at 20 °C
Vapor pressure: <1.4 hPa (20 °C)
FEMA: 2915 | POLYSORBATE 20
Refractive index: n20/D 1.468(lit.)
Fp: >230 °F
Storage temp.: Store below +30°C.
Solubility: 100 g/L
Form: viscous liquid
Color: Amber
Specific Gravity: 1.090～1.130 (20/20℃)
PH: 6-8 (50g/l, H2O, 20℃)
PH Range: 7
Odor: mild alcohol odor
Odor Type: alcoholic
Water Solubility: 100 g/L
Hydrophilic-Lipophilic Balance (HLB): 16.7
Stability: Stable. Incompatible with strong oxidizing agents.
EPA Substance Registry System: Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaurate (Polysorbate 20) (9005-64-5)
Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaurate (Polysorbate 20) is a mixture of laurate partial esters of sorbitol and sorbitol anhydrides condensed with approximately 20 mole of ethylene oxide (C2H4O) for each mole of sorbitol and its mono- and dianhydrides.
Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaurate (Polysorbate 20) has a faint, characteristic odor and a warm, somewhat bitter taste.
Uses
Used for solubilizing membrane proteins during isolation and purification.
Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaurate (Polysorbate 20) is used as a wetting agent in flavored mouth drops.
Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaurate (Polysorbate 20) acts as a washing agent in Western blots and ELISAs and prevents antibody binding.
Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaurate (Polysorbate 20) is a solubilizing agent of membrane proteins.
In pharmaceutical chemistry, Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaurate (Polysorbate 20) is used as an excipient to stabilize emulsions and suspensions.
Further, Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaurate (Polysorbate 20) is used as a dispersing agent, stabilizer, lubricator and also used in creams, salves, ointments, protective creams, balms, pomades, lipsticks, mascaras and glosses.
Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaurate (Polysorbate 20) is a solubilizer, emulsifier, viscosity modifier, and stabilizer of essential oils in water.
Food applications
Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaurate (Polysorbate 20) is used as a wetting agent in flavored mouth drops such as Ice Drops, helping to provide a spreading feeling to other ingredients like SD alcohol and mint flavor.
The World Health Organization has suggested acceptable daily intake limits of 0–25 mg of polyoxyethylene sorbitan esters per kg body weight.
Biotechnical applications
In biological techniques and sciences, Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaurate (Polysorbate 20) has a broad range of applications.
For example, Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaurate (Polysorbate 20) is used:
1-as a washing agent in immunoassays, such as Western blots and ELISAs.
Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaurate (Polysorbate 20) helps to prevent non-specific antibody binding. In this major application, it is dissolved in Tris-buffered saline or phosphate buffered saline at dilutions of 0.05% to 0.5% v/v.
These buffers are used for washes between each immunoreaction, to remove unbound immunologicals, and eventually for incubating solutions of immunoreagents (labeled antibodies) to reduce nonspecific background.
2-to saturate binding sites on surfaces (i.e., to coat polystyrene microplates, generally combined with proteins such as BSA).
3-to stabilize proteins purified protein derivative (PPD) solution used in skin testing for tuberculosis exposure.
4-as a solubilizing agent of membrane proteins
5-for lysing mammalian cells, at a concentration of 0.05% to 0.5% v/v, generally combined with other detergents, salts and additives.
Pharmaceutical applications
Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaurate (Polysorbate 20) is used as an excipient in pharmaceutical applications to stabilize emulsions and suspensions.
Industrial and domestic applications
Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaurate (Polysorbate 20) is used in many brands of baby wipes.
Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaurate (Polysorbate 20) is used by philatelists to remove stamps from envelopes and to remove residues from stamps, without harming the stamp itself.
Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaurate (Polysorbate 20) is also used as wetting agent in rubber balers in the elastomer industry.
Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaurate (Polysorbate 20) has been used as a shape directing agent to synthesize spheroidal magnetite nanoassemblies.
Health effects
Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaurate (Polysorbate 20) was a skin irritant in dermatitis patients but was reported not to induce irritant responses when applied to the intact skin of health volunteers.
Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaurate (Polysorbate 20) produced, at worst, minimal irritation in the eyes of rabbits. Only a small number of cases of skin sensitization have been reported in humans, although a moderate to strong sensitizing potential was seen in guinea-pigs treated by intradermal injection.
