What is a Quaternary Ammonium Compound?
Quats are the most popular disinfectant in the health care environment because of their broad range of efficacy, low risk to the housekeeper, low cost, and high effectiveness when used with detergents. Quat disinfectants are usually a mixture of two or more quaternary ammonium chloride compounds. These complex molecules work by wrapping themselves around the protein of a virus or bacteria.
Quaternary ammonium chlorides occupy a unique niche in the world of antimicrobial compounds. They are a diverse, eclectic collection of substances that share a common chemical motif, namely a molecular structure containing a positively charged nitrogen atom covalently bonded to four carbon atoms. This quaternary ammonium group is responsible for the name of these antimicrobial compounds and also plays a dominant role in determining their chemical behavior.
