Sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) or sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), sometimes written sodium laurilsulfate, is an organic compound with the formula CH3(CH2)11OSO3Na and structure H3C−(CH2)11−O−S(=O)2−O−Na+. It is an anionic surfactant used in many cleaning and hygiene products. This compound is the sodium salt of the 12-carbon organosulfate. Its hydrocarbon tail combined with a polar "headgroup" give the compound amphiphilic properties that make it useful as a detergent. SDS is also component of mixtures produced from inexpensive coconut and palm oils. SDS is a common component of many domestic cleaning, personal hygiene and cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and food products, as well as of industrial and commercial cleaning and product formulations.
Bottle of 20% sodium dodecyl sulfate in distilled water for use in the laboratory
SDS-PAGE is a discontinuous electrophoretic system developed by Ulrich K. Laemmli which is commonly used as a method to separate proteins with molecular masses between 5 and 250 kDa. The combined use of sodium dodecyl sulfate and polyacrylamide gel eliminates the influence of structure and charge, and proteins are separated by differences in their size. At least up to 2012, the publication describing it was the most frequently cited paper by a single author, and the second most cited overall.
Proteins of the erythrocyte membrane separated by SDS-PAGE according to their molecular masses
Sample combs with different numbers of pockets, each prong leaves a pocket in the gel when pulled out
Polymerised separating and stacking gel before removing the sample comb (white) between the spacers (black), in the stacking gel are small amounts of bromophenol blue for improved visibility, the separating gel is unstained
Electrophoresis chamber after a few minutes of electrophoresis. In the first pocket a size marker was applied with bromophenol blue, in the other pockets, the samples were added bromocresol green
