NP-40 (also known as Tergitol-type NP-40 and nonyl phenoxypolyethoxylethanol) is a commercially available
detergent
A detergent is a surfactant or a mixture of surfactants with cleansing properties when in dilute solutions. There are a large variety of detergents, a common family being the alkylbenzene sulfonates, which are soap-like compounds that are mor ...
with
CAS Registry Number
A CAS Registry Number (also referred to as CAS RN or informally CAS Number) is a unique identification number assigned by the Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS), US to every chemical substance described in the open scientific literature. It inclu ...
9016-45-9. NP-40 is an ethoxylated nonylphenol for non-ionic surfactants and can act as emulsifier and demulsifier agent.
NP-40 is often used to break open all membranes within a cell, including the
nuclear membrane
The nuclear envelope, also known as the nuclear membrane, is made up of two lipid bilayer membranes that in eukaryotic cells surround the nucleus, which encloses the genetic material.
The nuclear envelope consists of two lipid bilayer membran ...
. To break only the
cytoplasmic membrane
The cell membrane (also known as the plasma membrane (PM) or cytoplasmic membrane, and historically referred to as the plasmalemma) is a biological membrane that separates and protects the interior of all cells from the outside environment (th ...
, other detergents such as IGEPAL CA-630 can be used.
NP-40 has applications in paper and textile processing, in paints and coatings, and in agrochemical manufacturing.
Care should be taken to avoid confusing NP-40 with
Nonidet P-40
Nonidet P-40 is a nonionic, non-denaturing detergent. Its official IUPAC name is octylphenoxypolyethoxyethanol. Nonidet is a trademark of Shell Chemical Co.
Nonidet P-40 is sometimes abbreviated as NP-40, but should not be confused with a differe ...
(octyl phenoxypolyethoxylethanol) which is currently out of production. Nonidet P-40 ("Non-Ionic Detergent") was originally manufactured and trademarked by the Shell Chemical Company, but was phased out of production in the early 2000s. Confusingly, biochemical protocols published between the 1960s and 2000s refer to Shell's Nonidet P-40 as NP-40. Shell's original Nonidet P-40 had a
hydrophilic-lipophilic balance
The hydrophilic–lipophilic balance (HLB) of a surfactant is a measure of its degree of hydrophilicity or lipophilicity, determined by calculating percentages of molecular weights for the hydrophilic and lipohilic portions of the surfactant mo ...
(HLB) value of 13.5, as opposed to 12.9 for the currently available
IGEPAL CA-630
IGEPAL CA-630 is a nonionic, non-denaturing detergent. Its official IUPAC name is octylphenoxypolyethoxyethanol. IGEPAL is a registered trademark of Rhodia.
IGEPAL CA-630 is sold by Sigma-Aldrich and is claimed to be a "chemically indistinguisha ...
, indicating that the currently available compound is more potent than the compound used in older publications. Indeed, according to a 2017 report,
an additional dilution factor of 10 was required for the currently available NP-40 ("Nonidet P-40 substitutes") to match the activity of the previously available, and now discontinued, Shell's Nonidet P-40.
See also
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Nonoxynol-9
Nonoxynol-9, sometimes abbreviated as N-9, is an organic compound that is used as a surfactant. It is a member of the nonoxynol family of nonionic surfactants. N-9 and related compounds are ingredients in various cleaning and cosmetic product ...
*
Surfactant
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Lipid bilayer
The lipid bilayer (or phospholipid bilayer) is a thin polar membrane made of two layers of lipid molecules. These membranes are flat sheets that form a continuous barrier around all cells. The cell membranes of almost all organisms and many vi ...
*
Detergent
A detergent is a surfactant or a mixture of surfactants with cleansing properties when in dilute solutions. There are a large variety of detergents, a common family being the alkylbenzene sulfonates, which are soap-like compounds that are mor ...
*
Triton X-100
Triton X-100 (''n'') is a nonionic surfactant that has a hydrophilic polyethylene oxide chain (on average it has 9.5 ethylene oxide units) and an aromatic hydrocarbon lipophilic or hydrophobic group. The hydrocarbon group is a 4-( 1,1,3,3-tetramet ...
(differs only in the # of carbons in the aliphatic portion)
References
Biochemistry methods
Non-ionic surfactants
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