Topic summary
Quaternary ammonium compound
Extracted from the Wikipedia article Quaternary ammonium cation.
Medicines
Quaternary ammonium compounds have antimicrobial activity. Quaternary ammonium compounds, especially those containing long alkyl chains, are used as antimicrobials and disinfectants. Examples are benzalkonium chloride, benzethonium chloride, methylbenzethonium chloride, cetalkonium chloride, cetylpyridinium chloride, cetrimonium, cetrimide, dofanium chloride, tetraethylammonium bromide, didecyldimethylammonium chloride and domiphen bromide. Also effective against fungi, amoebas, and envelopedviruses (such as SARS-CoV-2), most quaternary ammonium compounds are believed to act by disrupting the cell membrane or viral envelope. (Some QACs, such as dequalinium and similar bis-QACs, show evidence of a different mode of action.)