Depending on purity, benzalkonium chloride ranges from colourless to a pale yellow (impure). Benzalkonium chloride is readily soluble in See more

Benzalkonium chloride is a mainstay of phase-transfer catalysis, an important technology in the synthesis of organic compounds, … See more

RTECS lists the following acute toxicity data:
Benzalkonium chloride is a human skin and severe eye irritant. It is a respiratory toxicant, … See more

Benzalkonium chloride degradation follows consecutive debenzylation, dealkylation, and demethylation steps producing benzyl chloride, an alkyl dimethyl amine, dimethylamine, a long chain alkane, and ammonia. The intermediates, major, and minor products can … See more

Benzalkonium chloride possesses surfactant properties, dissolving the lipid phase of the tear film and increasing drug penetration, making … See more

Especially for its antimicrobial activity, benzalkonium chloride is an active ingredient in many consumer products:
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The antimicrobial activity is dependent on the chain length. For example, yeast and fungi are most affected by C12, gram positive by C14, and gram negative by C16.
The greatest biocidal activity is associated with the C12 … See more