Question

Explain the following terms with suitable examples.
(A) Cationic detergents
(B) Anionic detergents
(C) Non – ionic detergents

Answer 1

Hint:We know that detergents are cleaning agents which are commonly made from synthetic resources such as petroleum fraction, hydrocarbon or coal. Detergents are sodium salts of sulfonic acids which were developed during the second world war due to the shortage of vegetable oils and animal facts.

Complete step-by-step answer:Detergent is a surfactant which reduces the surface tension of the water and makes it much harder so that it can bind with water, more likely to contact with grease and oil. There are three types of detergents present which are:
(A) Cationic detergents: These are the detergents which are quaternary ammonium salts of chlorides, bromides or acetates. The cationic component of these detergents consists of a long hydrocarbon chain and the nitrogen component has a positive charge on it. Example: Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide which is used in hair conditioners.
(B) Anionic detergents:These are the synthetic in which a lipophilic hydrocarbon group of the molecule is an anion. A detergent molecule consists of a long hydrocarbon chain and a water soluble negative ionic group. Example: Sodium alkyl sulphate and Sodium Alkyl benzene sulphonates.
(C) Non – ionic detergents: These are the detergents which have no ions. They are usually esters of high molecular mass alcohols. Also, they are known as non – denaturing detergents as they have limited ability to break protein – protein interactions. Example: It can be prepared by the reaction between stearic acid and polyethylene glycol.

Note:Cationic detergents are usually used in common household soaps and cleansers. They also serve specific purposes in lab settings whereas anionic detergents are commonly used in laundry detergents, electric dishwashing detergents and in some shampoos. Non – ionic detergents are mainly used to isolate biologically active membrane proteins.