Tetra Ethyl Ammonium Bromide

The organic compound tetraethylammonium bromide (TEAB) has the chemical formula (C2H5)4NBr. It is a quaternary ammonium salt, which makes it a big, bulky cation since it has four ethyl groups connected to a central nitrogen atom. The charge is balanced by the bromide anion.

The crystalline white substance known as TEAB is soluble in both water and organic solvents. It frequently functions as a phase transfer catalyst, which implies that it makes it easier to move a reactant or product from one phase (typically organic) to another phase (typically aqueous). When the reactants or products of a chemical reaction cannot be dissolved in the same solvent, this is helpful.

In the synthesis of zeolites, a family of porous materials utilised in catalysis, adsorption, and ion exchange, TEAB is also used as a structure-directing agent (SDA). As an SDA, TEAB can affect the growth of zeolite crystals with particular dimensions and forms, enabling the development of novel zeolite materials with specialised features.

TEAB can also be used as a surfactant, a corrosion inhibitor, and a stabiliser for PVC plastics, among other things. The enzyme acetylcholinesterase, which catalyses the hydrolysis of TEAB to create ethyl acetate and ammonium ions, uses it as a substrate in biochemistry studies.