Sodium tetradecyl sulfate (STS) is a common

anionic An ion () is an atom or molecule with a net electrical charge. The charge of an electron is considered to be negative by convention and this charge is equal and opposite to the charge of a proton, which is considered to be positive by convent ...

surfactant Surfactants are chemical compounds that decrease the surface tension between two liquids, between a gas and a liquid, or interfacial tension between a liquid and a solid. Surfactants may act as detergents, wetting agents, emulsifiers, foaming ...

. The compound consists of the sodium salt of the

micelle A micelle () or micella () (plural micelles or micellae, respectively) is an aggregate (or supramolecular assembly) of surfactant amphipathic lipid molecules dispersed in a liquid, forming a colloidal suspension (also known as associated collo ...

-forming

sulfate ester Organosulfates are a class of organic compounds sharing a common functional group with the structure R-O-SO3−. The SO4 core is a sulfate group and the R group is any organic residue. All organosulfates are formally esters derived from alcohols ...

tetradecanol 1-Tetradecanol, or commonly myristyl alcohol (from ''Myristica fragrans'' – the nutmeg plant), is a straight-chain saturated fatty alcohol, with the molecular formula CH3(CH2)12CH2OH. It is a white waxy solid that is practically insoluble in w ...

. It is a white, water-soluble solid of low toxicity with many practical uses.

Applications

Medicine

It the active component of the sclerosant drug Sotradecol. It is commonly used in the treatment of

varicose Varicose veins, also known as varicoses, are a medical condition in which superficial veins become enlarged and twisted. These veins typically develop in the legs, just under the skin. Varicose veins usually cause few symptoms. However, some indiv ...

and spider veins of the leg, during the procedure of

sclerotherapy Sclerotherapy (the word reflects the Greek ''skleros'', meaning ''hard'') is a procedure used to treat blood vessel malformations (vascular malformations) and also malformations of the lymphatic system. A medicine is injected into the vessels, wh ...

. Being a

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 more ...

, its action is on the

lipid Lipids are a broad group of naturally-occurring molecules which includes fats, waxes, sterols, fat-soluble vitamins (such as vitamins A, D, E and K), monoglycerides, diglycerides, phospholipids, and others. The functions of lipids include ...

molecules in the cells of the vein wall, causing inflammatory destruction of the internal lining of the vein and thrombus formation eventually leading to sclerosis of the vein. It is used in concentrations ranging from 0.1% to 3% for this purpose. It is occasionally used for the treatment of stabilisation of joints that regularly dislocate, particularly in patients with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. In the UK, Ireland, Italy, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, it is sold under the trade-name Fibro-Vein in concentrations of 0.2%, 0.5%, 1.0%, and 3%.Fibro-Vein history and details
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Synthesis

Tetradecyl alcohol is treated with

sulfur trioxide Sulfur trioxide (alternative spelling sulphur trioxide, also known as ''nisso sulfan'') is the chemical compound with the formula SO3. It has been described as "unquestionably the most important economically" sulfur oxide. It is prepared on an ind ...

followed by neutralization of the resulting pyrosulfuric acid with sodium hydroxide.

References

Organic sodium salts Sulfate esters Anionic surfactants {{cardiovascular-drug-stub