Glutaraldehyde is an
organic compound
In chemistry, organic compounds are generally any chemical compounds that contain carbon-hydrogen or carbon-carbon bonds. Due to carbon's ability to catenate (form chains with other carbon atoms), millions of organic compounds are known. Th ...
with the formula . The molecule consists of a five carbon chain doubly terminated with formyl (CHO) groups. It is usually used as a solution in water, and such solutions exists as a collection of hydrates, cyclic derivatives, and condensation products, several of which interconvert. Because the molecule has two
carbonyl group
In organic chemistry, a carbonyl group is a functional group composed of a carbon atom double-bonded to an oxygen atom: C=O. It is common to several classes of organic compounds, as part of many larger functional groups. A compound containi ...
is reactive to primary
amine groups (even as its hydrates), it can function as a
crosslink
In chemistry and biology a cross-link is a bond or a short sequence of bonds that links one polymer chain to another. These links may take the form of covalent bonds or ionic bonds and the polymers can be either synthetic polymers or natural ...
ing agent for any substance with primary amine groups and develop imine connected links. Crosslinking rigidifies and deactivates many biological functions, so in this way, glutaraldehyde solutions are used as biocides and as
fixative. It is sold under the brandname Cidex and Glutaral.
As a disinfectant, it is used to sterilize
surgical instruments
A surgical instrument is a tool or device for performing specific actions or carrying out desired effects during a surgery or operation, such as modifying biological tissue, or to provide access for viewing it. Over time, many different kinds of ...
.
[
]
Uses
Biochemistry
Glutaraldehyde is used in biochemistry applications as an amine-reactive homobifunctional crosslinker
In chemistry and biology a cross-link is a bond or a short sequence of bonds that links one polymer chain to another. These links may take the form of covalent bonds or ionic bonds and the polymers can be either synthetic polymers or natural ...
and fixative. It kills cells quickly by crosslinking their protein
Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, res ...
s. It is usually employed alone or mixed with formaldehyde
Formaldehyde ( , ) ( systematic name methanal) is a naturally occurring organic compound with the formula and structure . The pure compound is a pungent, colourless gas that polymerises spontaneously into paraformaldehyde (refer to section ...
[Karnovsky, M.J. (1965). A formaldehyde-glutaraldehyde fixative of high osmolality for use in electron microscopy. Journal of Cell Biology 27: 137A–138A] as the first of two fixative processes to stabilize specimens such as bacteria, plant material, and human cells. A second fixative procedure uses osmium tetroxide to crosslink and stabilize cell and organelle
In cell biology, an organelle is a specialized subunit, usually within a cell, that has a specific function. The name ''organelle'' comes from the idea that these structures are parts of cells, as organs are to the body, hence ''organelle,'' th ...
membrane lipids.
Another application for treatment of proteins with glutaraldehyde is the inactivation of bacterial toxins to generate toxoid
A toxoid is an inactivated toxin (usually an exotoxin) whose toxicity has been suppressed either by chemical (formalin) or heat treatment, while other properties, typically immunogenicity, are maintained. Toxins are secreted by bacteria, whereas ...
vaccines, e.g., the pertussis (whooping cough) toxoid component in the Boostrix Tdap
The DPT vaccine or DTP vaccine is a class of combination vaccines against three infectious diseases in humans: diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), and tetanus. The vaccine components include diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and either k ...
vaccine produced by GlaxoSmithKline
GSK plc, formerly GlaxoSmithKline plc, is a British multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company with global headquarters in London, England. Established in 2000 by a merger of Glaxo Wellcome and SmithKline Beecham. GSK is the tent ...
.
Material Science
In material science glutaraldehyde application areas range from polymers to metals and biomaterials. Glutaraldehyde is commonly used as fixing agent before characterization of biomaterials for microscopy. Glutaraldehyde is a powerful crosslinking agent for many polymers contain primer amine groups.. Glutaraldehdye also can be used for an interlinking agent to improve the adhesion force between two polymeric coatings. Glutaraldehyde is also used to protect against corrosion of undersea pipes.
Medical
Clinical uses
Glutaraldehyde is used as a disinfectant
A disinfectant is a chemical substance or compound used to inactivate or destroy microorganisms on inert surfaces. Disinfection does not necessarily kill all microorganisms, especially resistant bacterial spores; it is less effective than s ...
and medication.[ Usually applied as a solution, it is used to sterilize ]surgical instruments
A surgical instrument is a tool or device for performing specific actions or carrying out desired effects during a surgery or operation, such as modifying biological tissue, or to provide access for viewing it. Over time, many different kinds of ...
and other areas.[
]
Dermatological uses
As a medication it is used to treat plantar wart
A plantar wart, or verruca vulgaris, is a wart occurring on the bottom of the foot or toes. Its color is typically similar to that of the skin. Small black dots often occur on the surface. One or more may occur in an area. They may result in pa ...
s.[ For this purpose, a 10% w/v solution is used. It dries the skin, facilitating physical removal of the wart.
Glutaraldehyde is also used in the treatment of ]hyperhidrosis
Hyperhidrosis is a condition characterized by abnormally increased sweating, in excess of that required for regulation of body temperature. Although primarily a benign physical burden, hyperhidrosis can deteriorate quality of life from a psychologi ...
under the control of dermatologists. In people who have frequent sweating but do not respond to aluminum chloride
Aluminium chloride, also known as aluminium trichloride, is an inorganic compound with the formula . It forms hexahydrate with the formula , containing six water molecules of hydration. Both are colourless crystals, but samples are often contam ...
. Glutaraldehyde solution is an effective agent to treat palmar and plantar hyperhidrosis as an alternative to tannic acid
Tannic acid is a specific form of tannin, a type of polyphenol. Its weak acidity ( pKa around 6) is due to the numerous phenol groups in the structure. The chemical formula for commercial tannic acid is often given as C76H52O46, which corresp ...
and formaldehyde
Formaldehyde ( , ) ( systematic name methanal) is a naturally occurring organic compound with the formula and structure . The pure compound is a pungent, colourless gas that polymerises spontaneously into paraformaldehyde (refer to section ...
.
Safety
Side effects include skin irritation.[ If exposed to large amounts, nausea, headache, and shortness of breath may occur.][ Protective equipment is recommended when used, especially in high concentrations.][ Glutaraldehyde is effective against a range of ]microorganisms
A microorganism, or microbe,, ''mikros'', "small") and ''organism'' from the el, ὀργανισμός, ''organismós'', "organism"). It is usually written as a single word but is sometimes hyphenated (''micro-organism''), especially in olde ...
including spores
In biology, a spore is a unit of sexual or asexual reproduction that may be adapted for dispersal and for survival, often for extended periods of time, in unfavourable conditions. Spores form part of the life cycles of many plants, algae, ...
.[ Glutaraldehyde is a dialdehyde. It works by a number of mechanisms.]
As a strong sterilant, glutaraldehyde is toxic
Toxicity is the degree to which a chemical substance or a particular mixture of substances can damage an organism. Toxicity can refer to the effect on a whole organism, such as an animal, bacterium, or plant, as well as the effect on a sub ...
and a strong irritant.[Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) (a federal government site) > OSH Answers > Diseases, Disorders & Injuries > Asthma]
Document last updated on 8 February 2005 There is no strong evidence of carcinogenic
A carcinogen is any substance, radionuclide, or radiation that promotes carcinogenesis (the formation of cancer). This may be due to the ability to damage the genome or to the disruption of cellular metabolic processes. Several radioactive sub ...
activity.[Toxicology and Carcinogenesis Studies of Glutaraldehyde]
Some occupations that work with this chemical have an increased risk of some cancers.[
]
Production and reactions
Production
Glutaraldehyde is produced industrially by the catalytic oxidation of cyclopentene by hydrogen peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is a chemical compound with the formula . In its pure form, it is a very pale blue liquid that is slightly more viscous than water. It is used as an oxidizer, bleaching agent, and antiseptic, usually as a dilute solution (3 ...
, which can be achieved in the presence of various tungstic acid
Tungstic acid refers to hydrated forms of tungsten trioxide, WO3. Both a monohydrate (WO3·H2O) and hemihydrate (WO3·1/2 H2O) are known. Molecular species akin to sulfuric acid, i.e. (HO)2WO2 are not observed.
The solid-state structure of ...
-based heteropoly acid catalysts. This reaction essentially mimics ozonolysis
In organic chemistry, ozonolysis is an organic reaction where the unsaturated bonds of alkenes (), alkynes (), or azo compounds () are cleaved with ozone (). Alkenes and alkynes form organic compounds in which the multiple carbon–carbon b ...
. Alternatively it can be made by the Diels-Alder reaction of acrolein
Acrolein (systematic name: propenal) is the simplest unsaturated aldehyde. It is a colorless liquid with a piercing, acrid smell. The smell of burnt fat (as when cooking oil is heated to its smoke point) is caused by glycerol in the burning fat ...
and vinyl ethers followed by hydrolysis.
:
Reactions
Like other dialdehydes, (e.g., glyoxal
Glyoxal is an organic compound with the chemical formula OCHCHO. It is the smallest dialdehyde (a compound with two aldehyde groups). It is a crystalline solid, white at low temperatures and yellow near the melting point (15 °C). The li ...
) and simple aldehydes (e.g., formaldehyde
Formaldehyde ( , ) ( systematic name methanal) is a naturally occurring organic compound with the formula and structure . The pure compound is a pungent, colourless gas that polymerises spontaneously into paraformaldehyde (refer to section ...
), glutaraldehyde hydrates in aqueous solution, forming gem-diols. These diols in turn equilibrate with cyclic hemiacetal
A hemiacetal or a hemiketal has the general formula R1R2C(OH)OR, where R1 or R2 is hydrogen or an organic substituent. They generally result from the addition of an alcohol to an aldehyde or a ketone, although the latter are sometimes called hemi ...
.[ Monomeric glutaraldehyde polymerizes by aldol condensation and Michael reactions yielding alpha, beta-unsaturated poly-glutaraldehyde and related ]oligomer
In chemistry and biochemistry, an oligomer () is a molecule that consists of a few repeating units which could be derived, actually or conceptually, from smaller molecules, monomers.Quote: ''Oligomer molecule: A molecule of intermediate relati ...
s. This reaction occurs at alkaline pH values.
:
A number of mechanisms have been invoked to explain the biocidal and fixative properties of glutaraldehyde.[ Like many other aldehydes, it reacts with primary amines and thiol groups, which are common functional groups in proteins, nucleic acids and polymeric materials. Being bi-functional, glutaraldehyde is a ]crosslinker
In chemistry and biology a cross-link is a bond or a short sequence of bonds that links one polymer chain to another. These links may take the form of covalent bonds or ionic bonds and the polymers can be either synthetic polymers or natural ...
, which rigidifies macromolecular structures and shuts down their reactivity.
The aldehyde groups in glutaraldehyde are susceptible to formation of imines by reaction with the amines of lysine and nucleic acids. The derivatives from aldol condensation of pairs of glutaraldehyde also undergo imine formation.[
]
Use in the Aquarium Hobby
Glutaraldehyde diluted with water is often sold as alternative to carbon dioxide gas injection for aquarium plants. It is commonly also used by aquarists in low doses as an algaecide.
References
External links
*
Glutaraldehyde: Sources of emissions
AU National Pollutant Inventory
Glutaraldehyde
US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Glutaraldehyde
NIST Standard Reference Data
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