Polysorbates are a class of
emulsifiers used in some pharmaceuticals and food preparation. They are commonly used in oral and topical pharmaceutical dosage forms. They are also often used in cosmetics to solubilize
essential oils into water-based products. Polysorbates are oily liquids derived from
ethoxylated sorbitan
Sorbitan is a mixture of isomeric organic compounds derived from the dehydration of sorbitol and is an intermediate in the conversion of sorbitol to isosorbide. Sorbitan is primarily used in the production of surfactants such as polysorbates; wh ...
(a derivative of
sorbitol)
ester
In chemistry, an ester is a compound derived from an oxoacid (organic or inorganic) in which at least one hydroxyl group () is replaced by an alkoxy group (), as in the substitution reaction of a carboxylic acid and an alcohol. Glycerides a ...
ified with
fatty acid
In chemistry, particularly in biochemistry, a fatty acid is a carboxylic acid with an aliphatic chain, which is either saturated or unsaturated. Most naturally occurring fatty acids have an unbranched chain of an even number of carbon atoms, ...
s. Common brand names for polysorbates include Kolliphor,
Scattics, Alkest, Canarcel, and Tween.
[Hubert Schiweck, Albert Bär, Roland Vogel, Eugen Schwarz, Markwart Kunz, Cécile Dusautois, Alexandre Clement, Caterine Lefranc, Bernd Lüssem, Matthias Moser, Siegfried Peters "Sugar Alcohols" Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, 2012, Wiley-VCH, Weinheim. ]
Examples
*
Polysorbate 20
Polysorbate 20 (common commercial brand names include Kolliphor PS 20, Scattics, Alkest TW 20, Tween 20, and Kotilen-20) is a polysorbate-type nonionic surfactant formed by the ethoxylation of sorbitan monolaurate. Its stability and relative n ...
(polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaurate)
* Polysorbate 40 (polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monopalmitate)
* Polysorbate 60 (polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monostearate)
*
Polysorbate 80
Polysorbate 80 is a nonionic surfactant and emulsifier often used in pharmaceuticals, foods, and cosmetics. This synthetic compound is a viscous, water-soluble yellow liquid.
Chemistry
Polysorbate 80 is derived from polyethoxylated sorbitan and ...
(polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monooleate)
The number following the 'polysorbate' part is related to the type of major fatty acid associated with the molecule.
Monolaurate is indicated by 20,
monopalmitate is indicated by 40,
monostearate by 60, and
monooleate by 80. The number 20 following the 'polyoxyethylene' part refers to the total number of oxyethylene (–CH
2CH
2O–) groups found in the molecule.
See also
*
Sorbitan monolaurate
Sorbitan monolaurate is a mixture of esters formed from the fatty acid lauric acid and polyols derived from sorbitol, including sorbitan and isosorbide. As a food additive, it is designated with the E number E493.
See also
* Sorbitan monoste ...
*
Sorbitan monostearate
Sorbitan monostearate is an ester of sorbitan (a sorbitol derivative) and stearic acid and is sometimes referred to as a synthetic wax.
*
Sorbitan tristearate
Sorbitan tristearate is a nonionic surfactant. It is variously used as a dispersing agent, emulsifier, and stabilizer, in food and in aerosol sprays. As a food additive, it has the E number
E numbers ("E" stands for "Europe") are codes fo ...
*
Sorbitan monooleate
References
External links
NIH PEG-60 (Polysorbate 60)Household Products Database
{{organic-chemistry-stub
Non-ionic surfactants
Food additives
Colloidal chemistry
E-number additives