Sodium dodecyl sulfate
Sodium dodecyl sulfate (
CH3(CH
2)
11OSOO3Na), also known as
sodium lauryl sulfate or just SDS, is an
ionic detergent that is commonly found in household products such as shampoos. The molecule has a tail of 12 carbon atoms, attached to a
sulfate group, giving the molecule the amphiphilic properties required of a detergent.
The material has industrial use as a detergent, and is a common ingredient of household products such as shampoos.
In laboratories, SDS is commonly used in gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), where its detergent properties help keep the proteins being studied in a denatured state.