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Key Documents

93773

Sigma-Aldrich

TWEEN® 20

viscosity 250-450 mPa.s (25 °C)

Synonym(s):

Polyethylene glycol sorbitan monolaurate, Polyoxyethylenesorbitan monolaurate

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About This Item

CAS Number:
MDL number:
UNSPSC Code:
12161900
NACRES:
NA.21

description

non-ionic

form

viscous liquid

mol wt

~1228

technique(s)

DNA extraction: suitable
RNA extraction: suitable
cell culture | mammalian: suitable
protein purification: suitable

refractive index

n20/D 1.468 (lit.)
n20/D 1.471

viscosity

250-450 mPa.s(25 °C)

HLB value

16.7±1.0

density

1.11 g/mL at 20 °C
1.095 g/mL at 25 °C (lit.)

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

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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.

Application

Tween® 20 is widely used in several biochemical applications. It has been used:

  • as an emulsifying agent for the preparation of stable oil-in-water emulsions
  • in pre-extraction of membranes to remove peripheral proteins (used at 2% for extraction of membrane-bound proteins)
  • as a blocking agent for membrane based immunoassays at a typical concentration of 0.05% - 1%
  • for lysing mammalian cells at a concentration of 0.005 to 0.5%
  • for rehydrating tissue before in situ hybridization
Non-ionic detergent

Biochem/physiol Actions

Tween® 20, functioning as a detergent, potentially operates by binding to the hydrophobic components of water-insoluble substances, thereby making them hydrophilic.

Features and Benefits

  • Suitable for protein purification and DNA and RNA extraction
  • Suitable for mammalian cell culture
  • High purity product for research applications

Caution

may get turbid on storage, heat to clear

Other Notes

For additional information on our range of Biochemicals, please complete this form.

Legal Information

TWEEN is a registered trademark of Croda International PLC

Storage Class Code

10 - Combustible liquids

WGK

WGK 3

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

Certificates of Analysis (COA)

Search for Certificates of Analysis (COA) by entering the products Lot/Batch Number. Lot and Batch Numbers can be found on a product’s label following the words ‘Lot’ or ‘Batch’.

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