Detergents for Protein Solubilization
Detergents are amphipathic molecules containing both a nonpolar "tail" having aliphatic or aromatic character, and a polar "head." The ionic character of the polar head group forms the basis for broad classification of detergents; they may be ionic (charged, either anionic or cationic), nonionic (uncharged) or zwitterionic (having both positively and negatively charged groups, but with a net charge of zero).
Detergents are frequently used in cell lysis reagent formulation, for protein solubilization procedures, in wash buffers for ELISA, and for other protein research methods. Our detergents are available in three types of packaging.
Thermo Scientific™ Pierce™ Surfact-Amps™ detergents are highly purified, precisely diluted (10%) formulations that are ideal for applications or assays that are sensitive to contaminants that are present in unpurified detergents. We test every batch to insure that our detergents contain <1.0 µeq/mL peroxides and carbonyls and package them under nitrogen, to prevent oxidization during storage.
- Superior quality—lower measurable contaminant levels than other leading vendors
- Accurate—precise 10% detergent solution in ultrapure water
- Easy-to-use—solution is simple to dispense and dilute for use
- Exceptionally pure—less than 1.0 µeq/mL peroxides and carbonyls
Table 1. Properties of common detergents
| Detergent | Description | Aggregation Number | Micelle MW | MW | CMC (mM) | CMC % w/v | Cloud Point (°C) | Dialyzable |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Triton X-100 | Nonionic | 140 | 90,000 | 647 | 0.24 | 0.0155 | 64 | No |
| Triton X-114 | Nonionic | — | — | 537 | 0.21 | 0.0113 | 23 | No |
| NP-40 | Nonionic | 149 | 90,000 | 617 | 0.29 | 0.0179 | 80 | No |
| Brij®-35 | Nonionic | 40 | 49,000 | 1225 | 0.09 | 0.1103 | >100 | No |
| Brij-58 | Nonionic | 70 | 82,000 | 1120 | 0.077 | 0.0086 | >100 | No |
| Tween®-20 | Nonionic | — | — | 1228 | 0.06 | 0.0074 | 95 | No |
| Tween-80 | Nonionic | 60 | 76,000 | 1310 | 0.012 | 0.0016 | — | No |
| Octyl Glucoside | Nonionic | 27 | 8,000 | 292 | 23-25 | 0.6716-0.7300 | >100 | Yes |
| Octylthio Glucoside | Nonionic | — | — | 308 | 9 | 0.2772 | >100 | Yes |
| SDS | Anionic | 62 | 18,000 | 288 | 6-8 | 0.1728-2304 | >100 | Yes |
| CHAPS | Zwitterionic | 10 | 6,149 | 615 | 8-10 | 0.4920-0.6150 | >100 | Yes |
| CHAPSO | Zwitterionic | 11 | 6,940 | 631 | 8-10 | 0.5048 | 90 | Yes |
For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.
