Nonidet P-40 Explained

Nonidet P-40 is a nonionic, non-denaturing detergent. Its official IUPAC name is octylphenoxypolyethoxyethanol.

Nonidet P-40 is sometimes abbreviated as NP-40, but should not be confused with a different detergent by the same name NP-40, nonylphenoxypolyethoxyethanol of the Tergitol NP series of Dow Chemicals.

Nonidet was a trademark of Shell Chemical Co. from 1956 to the early 2000s,^{[1] [2]} but they no longer make it.^[3]

Nonidet P-40 is no longer sold by the chemical company Sigma-Aldrich. Sigma-Aldrich has replaced Nonidet P-40 with IGEPAL CA-630, which is described as a "nonionic, non-denaturing detergent". Sigma-Aldrich claims that IGEPAL CA-630 is "chemically indistinguishable from Nonidet P-40".

IGEPAL consists of octyl-phenoxy(polyoxyethylene)ethanol. Tergitol and the Sigma and BioChemica Nonidet P40 substitute detergents consist of nonyl-phenyl-polyethylene glycol. The original Shell Nonidet P-40 consisted of octyl-phenoxy(polyoxyethylene)ethanol, making IGEPAL the most comparable of the four substitutes.^[4]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Search Results: Nonidet . Australian Trade Mark Search . IP Australia . 5 February 2023.
2. Web site: Trade mark number UK00000754161 . Intellectual Property Office . The Crown (UK) . 5 February 2023.
3. Saptarshi Sinha . Jessica Field . John H. Miller . June 2017 . Use of substitute Nonidet P-40 nonionic detergents in intraellular tubulin polymerization assays for screening of microtubulte targeting agents . Biochemistry and Cell Biology . 95 . 3 . 379–384 . 10.1139/bcb-2016-0141 . 28177759 . 207087225 . 0829-8211. free .
4. Saptarshi Sinha . Jessica Field . John H. Miller . June 2017 . Use of substitute Nonidet P-40 nonionic detergents in intraellular tubulin polymerization assays for screening of microtubulte targeting agents . Biochemistry and Cell Biology . 95 . 3 . 379–384 . 10.1139/bcb-2016-0141 . 28177759 . 207087225 . 0829-8211. free .