Detergent

A detergent is a compound, or a mixture of compounds, whose molecules have two distinct regions - one that is hydrophilic , and dissolves easilyin water , and another region that is hydrophobic , with little (if any) affinity for water. As a consequence, these compounds can aid in thesolubilization of hydrophobic compounds in water, and usually are optimized for this property.

Though soap also has these properties, soaps ingeneral are not considered detergents. Soap is a particular type of surfactant that is derived from oils and fats. They are created through the saponification process whereby the ester linkage in a vegetable oilor fat is hydrolytically cleaved, creating a sodium or potassium salt of a fatty acid (i.e. soap).

Both detergents and soaps are considered to be surfactants. Surfactants that are not soaps are considered to be detergents.Detergents are also commonly known as any cleaning mixture containing surfactants.

Ionic detergents include: sodium deoxycholate , sodiumdodecyl sulfate