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AAT Bioquest

What are the types of detergents?

Posted July 28, 2021


Answer

There are 4 types of detergents based on their electrical charge:

  • Anionic detergents – Anionic detergents have a net negative electrical charge. This is because of the negatively-charged sulfate groups in the hydrophilic head.
  • Cationic detergents – Cationic detergents have a net positive electrical charge. This is because of the positively-charged ammonium group in the hydrophilic head.
  • Non-ionic detergents – Non-ionic detergents contain an uncharged hydrophilic group.
  • Zwitterionic detergents – Zwitterionic detergents have equal numbers of positive and negative charges, so their net charge is zero.
Additional resources

Spectrophotometric method for quantitative determination of nonionic, ionic and zwitterionic detergents

Di-4-ANEPPS *CAS#: 90134-00-2*

Membrane Potential and Channels