NP-40 (also known as Tergitol-type NP-40 and nonyl phenoxypolyethoxylethanol) is a commercially available
detergent
A detergent is a surfactant or a mixture of surfactants with Cleanliness, cleansing properties when in Concentration, dilute Solution (chemistry), solutions. There are a large variety of detergents. A common family is the alkylbenzene sulfonate ...
with
CAS Registry Number 9016-45-9. NP-40 is an ethoxylated nonylphenol for non-ionic surfactants and can act as emulsifier and demulsifier agent.
NP-40 is often used to break open all membranes within a cell, including the
nuclear membrane
The nuclear envelope, also known as the nuclear membrane, is made up of two lipid bilayer polar membrane, membranes that in eukaryotic cells surround the Cell nucleus, nucleus, which encloses the genome, genetic material.
The nuclear envelope con ...
. To break only the
cytoplasmic membrane
The cell membrane (also known as the plasma membrane or cytoplasmic membrane, and historically referred to as the plasmalemma) is a biological membrane that separates and protects the cytoplasm, interior of a Cell (biology), cell from the extrac ...
, other detergents such as
digitonin
Digitonin is a steroidal saponin (saraponin) obtained from the foxglove plant ''Digitalis purpurea''. Its aglycone is digitogenin, a spirostan steroid. It has been investigated as a detergent, as it effectively water-solubilizes lipids. As such, ...
can be used.
NP-40 has applications in paper and textile processing, in paints and coatings, and in agrochemical manufacturing.
Care should be taken to avoid confusing NP-40 with
Nonidet P-40 (octyl phenoxypolyethoxylethanol) which is currently out of production. Nonidet P-40 ("Non-Ionic Detergent") was originally manufactured and trademarked by the Shell Chemical Company, but was phased out of production in the early 2000s. Confusingly, biochemical protocols published between the 1960s and 2000s refer to Shell's Nonidet P-40 as NP-40. Shell's original Nonidet P-40 had a
hydrophilic-lipophilic balance
The hydrophilic–lipophilic balance (HLB) of a surfactant is a measure of its degree of hydrophilicity or lipophilicity, determined by calculating percentages of molecular weights for the hydrophilic and lipophilic portions of the surfactant m ...
(HLB) value of 13.5, as opposed to 12.9 for the currently available
IGEPAL CA-630
IGEPAL CA-630 is a nonionic, non-denaturing detergent. Its official IUPAC name is octylphenoxypolyethoxyethanol. IGEPAL is a registered trademark of Rhodia (company), Rhodia.
IGEPAL CA-630 is sold by Sigma-Aldrich and is claimed to be a "chemical ...
, indicating that the currently available compound is more potent than the compound used in older publications. Indeed, according to a 2017 report,
an additional dilution factor of 10 was required for the currently available NP-40 ("Nonidet P-40 substitutes") to match the activity of the previously available, and now discontinued, Shell's Nonidet P-40.
See also
*
Nonoxynol-9
Nonoxynol-9, sometimes abbreviated as N-9, is an organic compound that is used as a surfactant. It is a member of the Nonoxynols, nonoxynol family of nonionic surfactants. N-9 and related compounds are ingredients in various cleaning and cosmet ...
*
Surfactant
Surfactants are chemical compounds that decrease the surface tension or interfacial tension between two liquids, a liquid and a gas, or a liquid and a solid. The word ''surfactant'' is a Blend word, blend of "surface-active agent",
coined in ...
*
Lipid bilayer
The lipid bilayer (or phospholipid bilayer) is a thin polar membrane made of two layers of lipid molecules. These membranes form a continuous barrier around all cell (biology), cells. The cell membranes of almost all organisms and many viruses a ...
*
Detergent
A detergent is a surfactant or a mixture of surfactants with Cleanliness, cleansing properties when in Concentration, dilute Solution (chemistry), solutions. There are a large variety of detergents. A common family is the alkylbenzene sulfonate ...
*
Triton X-100
Triton X-100 (''n'') is a nonionic surfactant that has a hydrophilic polyethylene oxide chain (on average it has 9.5 ethylene oxide units) and an aromatic hydrocarbon lipophilic or hydrophobic group. The hydrocarbon group is a 4-( 1,1,3,3-tetr ...
(differs only in the # of carbons in the aliphatic portion)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Np-40
Biochemistry methods
Non-ionic surfactants