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P2287

Sigma-Aldrich

TWEEN® 20

viscous liquid, suitable for cell culture

Synonym(s):

Polysorbate 20, 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

Quality Level

form

viscous liquid

mol wt

~1228

composition

lauric acid, ≥40% (balance primarily myristic, palmoyic, and stearic acids)

concentration

≥40.0%

technique(s)

cell culture | mammalian: suitable

refractive index

n20/D 1.468 (lit.)

CMC

0.06 mM (20-25°C)

transition temp

cloud point 76 °C

density

1.095 g/mL at 25 °C (lit.)
1.1 g/cm3 at 25 °C (lit.)

HLB

16.7

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 has been used in staining buffer for in situ hybridization. It has also been used to prevent non-specific adsorption of proteins to coverslip during sample preparation for FRET (Förster resonance energy transfer) experiments.
TWEEN 20 is a nonionic detergent widely used in biochemical applications. It has been used as an emulsifying agent for the preparation of stable oil-in-water emulsions. TWEEN 20 has been used in pre-extraction of membranes to remove peripheral proteins (used at 2% for extraction of membrane-bound proteins).
TWEEN 20 has been used as a blocking agent for membrane based immunoassays at a typical concentration of 0.05%. TWEEN 20 can be used for lysing mammalian cells at a concentration of 0.005 to 0.5%.
Non-ionic detergent

Caution

TWEEN 20 may not be stable to autoclaving, particularly with metal cations in buffer solutions. Autoclaving is not recommended without testing for changes in properties. TWEEN 20 is heat sensitive and will darken when exposed to elevated temperatures. Polysorbates have been reported to be incompatible with alkalis, heavy metal salts, phenols, and tannic acid. They may also reduce the activity of many preservatives. Aqueous solutions of polysorbates undergo autoxidation during storage, with changes being catalyzed by light, increased temperature, and copper sulfate.

Preparation Note

TWEEN 20 is miscible in water (100mg/mL), yielding a clear, yellow solution. It is also miscible with alcohol, dioxane, and ethyl acetate. TWEEN 20 is insoluble in liquid paraffin and fixed oils.

Legal Information

TWEEN is a registered trademark of Croda International PLC

WGK

WGK 1

Flash Point(F)

Pensky-Martens closed cup

Flash Point(C)

Pensky-Martens closed cup

Personal Protective Equipment

dust mask type N95 (US), Eyeshields, Gloves

Certificates of Analysis (COA)

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Kinch CD, et al.
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Conformations of a metastable SH3 domain characterized by smFRET and an excluded-volume polymer model.
Mazouchi A, et al.
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Cassandra D Kinch et al.
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Exposure to environmental contaminants has been linked to developmental and reproductive abnormalities leading to infertility, spontaneous abortion, reduced number of offspring, and metabolic disorders. In addition, there is evidence linking environmental contaminants and endocrine disruption to abnormal developmental rate, defects
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