Polysorbate 20

Chemical properties

Yellow liquid

Chemical properties

Polysorbate 20 is a mixture of laurate partial esters of sorbitol and sorbitol anhydrides condensed with approximately 20 mole of ethylene oxide (C2H4O) for each mole of sorbitol and its mono- and dianhydrides. It has a faint, characteristic odor and a warm, somewhat bitter taste.

The Uses of Polysorbate 20

polysorbate 20 is a solubilizer, emulsifier, viscosity modifier, and stabilizer of essential oils in water.

The Uses of Polysorbate 20

Used for solubilizing membrane proteins during isolation and purification.Polysorbate 20 is used as a wetting agent in flavored mouth drops. It acts as a washing agent in Western blots and ELISAs and prevents antibody binding. It is a solubilizing agent of membrane proteins. In pharmaceutical chemistry, it is used as an excipient to stabilize emulsions and suspensions. Further, it is used as a dispersing agent, stabilizer, lubricator and also used in creams, salves, ointments, protective creams, balms, pomades, lipsticks, mascaras and glosses.

What are the applications of Application

Tween-20 is a membrane protein solubilizing, hydrophilic, non-ionic surfactant and polyoxyethylene derivative of sorbitan monolaurate for nanomaterial synthesis.

Background

Polysorbate 20 is a polysorbate-type nonionic surfactant used in many commercial, household and pharmaceutical products. It is composed of 20 repeated units of polyethylene glycol via ethoxylation. Polysorbate 20 is a wetting agent in food products, as well as washing agent, stabilizer and solubilizer in labratory assays and industrial applications. It is also an excipient that stabilizes emulsions and suspensions in pharmaceutical products and lubricant in ophthalmic solutions.

Definition

ChEBI: Polysorbate 20 (Tween 20) is a polymer composed of PEG-ylated sorbitan, where the total number of poly(ethylene glycol) units is 20 (w + x + y + z = 20) and a single terminal is capped by a dodecanoyl group. It is a surfactant and emulsifier used in cleaners and personal care products.

Preparation

polysorbate 20 is prepared by condensing the partial esters of sorbitol and its anhydrides with ethylene oxide to effect an oxyethylene copolymerization at the free hydroxyl groups.

brand name

Tween 20 (ICI Americas).

General Description

Polysorbate 20 is a hydrophilic nonionic surfactant generally used as emulsifiers, dispersing agent and solubilizer.

Health effects

Polysorbate 20 was a skin irritant in dermatitis patients but was reported not to induce irritant responses when applied to the intact skin of health volunteers. It produced, at worst, minimal irritation in the eyes of rabbits. Only a small number of cases of skin sensitization have been reported in humans, although a moderate to strong sensitizing potential was seen in guinea-pigs treated by intradermal injection.

Flammability and Explosibility

Non flammable

Safety Profile

Moderately toxic by intravenous route. Mddly toxic by ingestion. A human skin irritant. When heated to decomposition it emits acrid smoke and irritating fumes.

Metabolism

Not Available