TWEEN 20 for molecular biology, viscous liquid

SKU:
P9416-100ML
  • $53.30
  • Description

    TWEEN® 20

    for molecular biology, viscous liquid

    Synonym(s):
    Polyethylene glycol sorbitan monolaurate, Polyoxyethylenesorbitan monolaurate
    CAS Number:
    9005-64-5
    MDL number:
    MFCD00165986
    NACRES:
    NA.31

    PROPERTIES

    biological source

    corn
    plant (Palm)
    plant (coconut)
    wheat

    Quality Level

    300

    grade

    for molecular biology

    description

    non-ionic

    Assay

    >40% (GC)

    form

    viscous liquid

    mol wt

    ~1228
    ~1228

    composition

    lauric acid, ≥40% (balance primarily myristic, palmitic, and stearic acids)

    concentration

    ≥40.0% (GC)

    impurities

    RNAse, none detected
    endonuclease, none detected
    exonuclease, none detected

    refractive index

    n20/D 1.468 (lit.)

    CMC

    60 mg/L

    solubility

    water: 100 mg/mL, clear, colorless to yellow

    density

    1.095 g/mL at 25 °C (lit.)

    suitability

    suitable for molecular biology

    foreign activity

    Endonuclease-exonuclease and RNase, none detected

    SMILES string

    CCCCCCCCCCCC(=O)OCCOCC(C1C(C(CO1)OCCO)OCCO)OCCO

    InChI

    1S/C26H50O10/c1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-24(30)34-19-18-31-20-22(32-15-12-27)26-25(35-17-14-29)23(21-36-26)33-16-13-28/h22-23,25-29H,2-21H2,1H3

    InChI key

    HMFKFHLTUCJZJO-UHFFFAOYSA-N

    DESCRIPTION

    General description

    Tween®20 is a polyoxyethylene sorbitol ester that belongs to the polysorbate family. It is a nonionic detergent having a molecular weight of 1,225 daltons, assuming 20 ethylene oxide units, 1 sorbitol, and 1 lauric acid as the primary fatty acid. The ethylene oxide subunits are responsible for the hydrophilic nature of the surfactant, while the hydrocarbon chains provide the hydrophobic environment. Sorbitol forms the backbone ring to which the ethylene oxide polymers are attached.[1]
    Tween® 20 is a nonionic surfactant and detergent widely applied in molecular biology, biochemical, and life science research. Its predominant use involves the solubilization of membrane proteins during the isolation of membrane-protein complexes. Additionally, it serves as a component in various washing, blocking, dilution, and stabilization buffers. Additionally, it functions as a reagent for immunohistochemistry, encompassing techniques like Western blotting and ELISAs. In these applications, Tween 20 plays crucial roles such as preventing non-specific antibody binding, minimizing background staining, and ensuring the even distribution of reagents.

    Surfactants, possessing both hydrophilic and hydrophobic components, fall into two main categories: ionic, which ionize in water (anionic, cationic, or ampholytic), and nonionic, which do not ionize. The discussed product is a nonionic surfactant with diverse applications such as emulsification, dispersion, solubilization, and detergent use. Additionally, it can serve as a solubilizer for membrane proteins.

    Application

    TWEEN 20 is widely used in biochemical applications. It has been used:
    • As an emulsifying agent for the preparation of stable oil-in-water emulsions[2]
    • In pre-extraction of membranes to remove peripheral proteins (used at 2% for extraction of membrane-bound proteins)[3]
    • As a blocking agent for membrane based immunoassays at a typical concentration of 0.05%
    • For lysing mammalian cells at a concentration of 0.005 to 0.5%
    • Along with PBS in the dilution of antibodies in immunohistochemistry technique[4]
    • For washing cells in FISH (Fluorescence in situ hybridization) technique[5]
    Non-ionic detergent

    Features and Benefits

    • Highly versatile surfactant for your Life Science and Biochemical research
    • Suitable for sensitive molecular biology research applications
    • Tested for Endonuclease, exonuclease and Rnase′s
    • Excellent solubilising, dispersing and emulsifying agent

    Caution

    TWEEN 20 may not be stable to autoclaving, particularly with metal cations in buffer solutions. Autoclaving is not recommended without testing for changes in properties. TWEEN 20 is heat sensitive and will darken when exposed to elevated temperatures. Polysorbates have been reported to be incompatible with alkalis, heavy metal salts, phenols, and tannic acid. They may also reduce the activity of many preservatives. Aqueous solutions of polysorbates undergo autoxidation during storage, with changes being catalyzed by light, increased temperature, and copper sulfate.

    Preparation Note

    TWEEN 20 is miscible in water (100mg/mL), yielding a clear, yellow solution. It is also miscible with alcohol, dioxane, and ethyl acetate. TWEEN 20 is insoluble in liquid paraffin and fixed oils.

    Legal Information

    TWEEN is a registered trademark of Croda International PLC

    SAFETY INFORMATION

    Storage Class Code

    10 - Combustible liquids

    WGK

    WGK 1

    Flash Point(F)

    527.0 °F - Pensky-Martens closed cup

    Flash Point(C)

    275 °C - Pensky-Martens closed cup

    Personal Protective Equipment

    dust mask type N95 (US), Eyeshields, Gloves