In organic chemistry, quaternary ammonium cations, also known as quats, are positively-charged polyatomic ions of the structure [NR4]+, where R is an alkyl group, an aryl group[1] or organyl group. Unlike the ammonium ion (NH+4) and the primary, secondary, or tertiary ammonium cations, the quaternary ammonium cations are permanently charged, independent of the pH of their solution. Quaternary ammonium salts or quaternary ammonium compounds (called quaternary amines in oilfield parlance) are salts of quaternary ammonium cations. Polyquats are a variety of engineered polymer forms which provide multiple quat molecules within a larger molecule.
Quats are used in consumer applications including as antimicrobials (such as detergents and disinfectants), fabric softeners, and hair conditioners. As an antimicrobial, they are able to inactivate enveloped viruses (such as SARS-CoV-2). Quats tend to be gentler on surfaces than bleach-based disinfectants, and are generally fabric-safe.[2]
^IUPAC, Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd ed. (the "Gold Book") (1997). Online corrected version: (2006–) "quaternary ammonium compounds". doi:10.1351/goldbook.Q05003
^Heffernan T (14 April 2021). "The Best Surface Cleaners, Wipes, and Disinfectants". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-02-17.
^ abKern A, Näther C, Studt F, Tuczek F (August 2004). "Application of a universal force field to mixed Fe/Mo-S/Se cubane and heterocubane clusters. 1. Substitution of sulfur by selenium in the series [Fe4X4(YCH3)4]2-; X = S/Se and Y = S/Se". Inorganic Chemistry. 43 (16): 5003–5010. doi:10.1021/ic030347d. PMID 15285677.
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aryl) groups, discounting hydrogen atoms. The best-known quaternary compounds are quaternaryammonium salts, having a nitrogen atom at the centre. For example...
Quaternary ammoniumcation is a cation in which all four hydrogen atoms of ammonium are replaced with organyl groups. In the choline cation, the four substituents...
Tetramethylammonium chloride is one of the simplest quaternaryammonium salts, with four methyl groups tetrahedrally attached to the central N. The chemical...
Dequalinium is a quaternaryammoniumcation and bolaamphiphile commonly available as the dichloride salt. It is useful as an antiseptic and disinfectant...
tiemonium, a quaternaryammoniumcation. Scoular IT, Monks A, Burgess C, Turner P (1977). "Human studies on the bioavailability of a quaternaryammonium compounds...
becomes a positive cation. Lewis acids form -ate ions when the central atom gains one more bond and becomes a negative anion. boronium cation, BH+4 (protonated...
dictionary. Quat may refer to: Quat (surname), a Chinese surname Quaternaryammoniumcation, a class of chemical molecules used as a disinfectant, surfactant...
Tetrapropylammonium (TPA) is a quaternaryammoniumcation with the formula [N(C3H7)4]+, also denoted [NPr4]+ (where Pr = propyl group). It is a precursor...
Tetramethylammonium (TMA) is the simplest quaternaryammoniumcation. It has the chemical formula [Me4N]+ and consists of four methyl groups (−CH3, denoted...
category C and is excreted in breast milk. Chemically it is a quaternaryammoniumcation which causes it to stay in periphery rather than crossing the...
Tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH or TMAOH) is a quaternaryammonium salt with molecular formula N(CH3)4+ OH−. It is commonly encountered in form of...
Emde-reaction or Emde-reduction) is a method for the reduction of a quaternaryammoniumcation to a tertiary amine with sodium amalgam: This organic reaction...
Tetraethylammonium (TEA) is a quaternaryammoniumcation with the chemical formula [Et4N]+, consisting of four ethyl groups (−C2H5, denoted Et) attached...
Tetrabutylammonium is a quaternaryammoniumcation with the formula [N(C4H9)4]+, also denoted [NBu4]+ (where Bu = butyl group). It is used in the research...
cetyl trimethylammonium, or hexadecyltrimethylammonium is a quaternaryammoniumcation whose salts are used as antiseptics:[citation needed] Cetrimonium...
to date been sufficiently addressed. Alcohol and alcohol plus Quaternaryammoniumcation based compounds comprise a class of proven surface sanitizers...
Perforce Software QAC Road, a short city road in Kollam, India Quaternaryammoniumcation, positively-charged polyatomic ions of the structure [NR4]+ Queen...
These species are not amines but are quaternaryammoniumcations and have a charged nitrogen center. Quaternaryammonium salts exist with many kinds of anions...
histidine guanidine phosphazene bases hydroxides of quaternaryammoniumcations or some other organic cations Most organic bases are considered to be weak....
structure R2C=N+. They form a subclass of nitrenium ions. Ammonium Imine Quaternaryammoniumcation IUPAC, Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd ed. (the...
compound, meaning, it contains both a quaternaryammonium functional group and a hydroxyl functional group. The cation of this salt, choline, occurs in nature...
(titanium dioxide) nanoparticles, peptization involves adsorption of quaternaryammoniumcation on the titania surface. This causes the surface to become positively...
as an anion or a cation, depending on whether it is negatively or positively charged. Thus, the counterion to an anion will be a cation, and vice versa...
Cetrimonium bromide, also known with the abbreviation CTAB, is a quaternaryammonium surfactant with a condensed structural formula [(C16H33)N(CH3)3]Br...
for use in the mouth. It is a salt consisting of a lipophilic quaternaryammoniumcation and iodide as the counterion. Scolari G (September 1979). "[Use...