Overview
Guanidine hydrochloride (CAS 50-01-1 ), also known as guanidinium chloride or GuHCl, is a strong protein denaturant and chaotropic salt used across pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and life science manufacturing.
It disrupts hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions in proteins, making it a critical reagent wherever controlled protein unfolding or solubilization is required for industrial processes.
In biopharmaceutical manufacturing, GuHCl is used to solubilize inclusion bodies during recombinant protein production, enabling downstream refolding into active drug substances for therapeutic use.
Protein denaturation studies and urea-alternative unfolding assays rely on concentrated GuHCl solutions as the standard chaotropic agent. In nucleic acid extraction workflows, it lyses cells and inactivates RNases.
This protects RNA and DNA integrity during isolation procedures. Cosmetic formulators use it at low concentrations as a conditioning and preservation-supporting agent in hair and scalp treatments.
Guanidine hydrochloride is supplied as a white crystalline powder or granules. Standard commercial grades include high-purity reagent-grade and molecular biology-grade specifications suited to sensitive bioprocessing.
Pharmaceutical-grade material meeting USP or Ph.Eur. standards is available for GMP-regulated manufacturing environments. These high-quality standards ensure consistency and safety in production.
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Physical Properties
| Melting Point | 178 °C |
| Density | 1.3 g/cm³ |
| Appearance | White cryst. powder |
| Color | White to slightly yellow |
| Odor | Odorless |
| Form | Crystals |
| Water Solubility | 2280 g/L (20 ºC) |
| Refractive Index | n 20/D 1.465 |
| pH | 4.5-5.5 (100g/l, H2O, 20℃) |
Safety & Handling
Warning GHS07 Hazard Statements H302 Harmful if swallowed H315 Causes skin irritation H319 Causes serious eye irritation Precautionary Statements P264 Wash … thoroughly after handling. P270 Do not eat, drink or smoke when using this product. P280 Wear protective gloves/protective clothing/eye protection/face protection. P321 Specific treatment (see … on this label). P330 Rinse mouth. P501 Dispose of contents/container in accordance with local regulations. P264+P265 Wash … thoroughly after handling. P301+P317 Get emergency medical help. P302+P352 IF ON SKIN: Wash with plenty of water. P332+P317 Get emergency medical help. P337+P317 If eye irritation persists: Get medical advice/attention. Get emergency medical help. P362+P364 Take off contaminated clothing and wash it before reuse. P305+P351+P338 IF IN EYES: Rinse cautiously with water for several minutes. Remove contact lenses, if present and easy to do. Continue rinsing.
Trade & Regulatory
| HS Code | 29252000 |
| Storage Class | 11 - Combustible Solids |
| WGK (Germany) | 1 |
Other Names
Related Products
Chemical Properties
- CAS Number
- 50-01-1
- EC Number
- 200-002-3
- Mol. Weight
- 95.53
- HS Code
- 29252000
- Category
- Pharmaceutical Intermediates