Cetyl trimethyl ammonium chloride is which type of detergent ?

Options

A. Anionc
B. Cationic
C. Non - ionic
D. Biosoft

Answer

To determine the type of detergent that Cetyl trimethyl ammonium chloride is, we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Understand the structure of Cetyl trimethyl ammonium chloride
- The molecular formula for Cetyl trimethyl ammonium chloride can be represented as CH3(CH2)14N(CH3)3Cl.
- Here, the nitrogen atom is bonded to three methyl groups (CH3) and a long hydrocarbon chain (C16H33).

**Hint:** Look for the functional groups and the overall structure to identify the charged species.

### Step 2: Identify the charged part of the molecule
- In the structure, the nitrogen atom carries a positive charge (it has four bonds, which gives it a positive charge), while the chloride ion (Cl-) carries a negative charge.
- The positive charge on the nitrogen indicates that it is a cation.

**Hint:** Focus on the charge of the nitrogen atom to determine if the detergent is cationic or anionic.

### Step 3: Classify the detergent based on the charge
- Since the active part of the molecule (the part that interacts with other substances) is a positively charged ion (the nitrogen), this indicates that Cetyl trimethyl ammonium chloride is a cationic detergent.
- Cationic detergents are characterized by the presence of a positively charged hydrophilic head.

**Hint:** Remember that cationic detergents have a positive charge, while anionic detergents have a negative charge.

### Conclusion
- Therefore, Cetyl trimethyl ammonium chloride is classified as a cationic detergent.

**Final Answer:** Cetyl trimethyl ammonium chloride is a cationic detergent.