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Bactericidal Activity of Phenols in Aqueous Solutions of Soap

Abstract

INVESTIGATIONS begun in 1940 concerning the bactericidal action of phenols solubilized by aqueous soap solutions were interrupted during the War but resumed in 1946. Results with a water-insoluble phenol (5-chloro-2 hydroxy-diphenyl methane) using potassium laurate as the soap will be published shortly and have shown (a) that the solubilization of the phenol in the soap solution commences at the critical concentration for initial formation of micelles, and that the solubility curve is of the same form as that quoted for solubilization of water-insoluble dyes by soap solutions1,2 ; (b) that the bactericidal activity of the phenol soap solutions is a function of the concentration of the phenol in the micelles.

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References

  • McBain, Merril and Vinograd, J. Amer. Chem. Soc., 63, 670 (1941).

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  • Hartey, J. Chem. Soc, 1968 (1938).

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BERRY, H., BEAN, H. Bactericidal Activity of Phenols in Aqueous Solutions of Soap. Nature 161, 396–397 (1948). https://doi.org/10.1038/161396a0

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