Diethylene glycol distearate

• CAS: 109-30-8
• Catalog Number: ACM109308
• Category: Main Products
• Molecular Weight: 639.05
• Molecular Formula: C₄₀H₇₈O₅
• Synonyms: Stearic acid,oxydiethylene ester; Oxydiethane-1,2-diyl distearate; OCTADECANOIC ACID,OXYDI-2,1-ETHANEDIYL ESTER; Oxydiethylene stearate; diethylene glycol distearate; EINECS 203-663-6; Witconol CAD
• IUPAC Name: 2-(2-octadecanoyloxyethoxy)ethyloctadecanoate
• SMILES: CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC(=O)OCCOCCOC(=O)CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
• InChI Key: YKDMBTQVKVEMSA-UHFFFAOYSA-N
• Boiling Point: 666.4ºC at 760 mmHg
• Melting Point: 54-55ºC
• Flash Point: 262.1ºC
• Density: 0.91 g/cm³
• Appearance: White powder
• EC Number: 203-663-6
• Exact Mass: 638.58500
• Safety Description: 24/25

Case Study

Diethylene Glycol Distearate as A Removable Embedding Medium for Electron Microscopy Section Preparation

David G. Capco, et al. The Journal of Cell Biology, 1984, 98, 1878-1885.

Diethylene glycol distearate (DGD) was used as a removable embedding medium to generate embedding-free sections for transmission electron microscopy. DGD embedded materials offer several significant advantages, including (a) being greatly reduced in brittleness so that they do not crack and shatter when the block is cut, (b) the slices can float on a water-filled trough, and slice strips can be produced , and (c) the section will produce an interference color or allow the selection of sections of equal thickness. The embedding medium is then removed without causing significant damage to the biological material.
Cell preparation and embedding in DGD
· MDCK cells were grown on glass culture dishes and processed in situ by extraction, fixation, and embedding.
· Cells were immersed in 2:1 and 1:2 n-butanol (nBA)/ethanol mixtures followed by four changes of nBA for 15 min each.
· Since DGD is solid at room temperature, it was kept at 60°C to remain molten during the investment process.
· Cells were transferred from 100% nBA to DGD via a series of 2:1 and then 1:2 nBA/DGD mixtures at 60°C for 10 min each, followed by 3 changes of 100% DGD for 1 h each.
· Remove the cells mounted on the glass Petri dish from the oven and allow the DGD to harden.

Diethylene Glycol Distearate for the Electron Microscopy Preparation of NuMat Samples

Sureka, Rahul, et al. BMC genomics, 2022, 23(1), 725.

Diethylene glycol distearate is a valuable tool for electron microscopy studies, as it can improve the quality of imaging and provide researchers with clear, detailed images of biological samples. In a work to study the structure and developmental dynamics of matrix-related regions of the Drosophila genome, nuclear matrix (NuMat) samples were prepared and embedded in diethylene glycol distearate (DGD) for electron microscopy analysis.
Electron microscopy of NuMat samples in DGD
· For embedment free electron microscopy (EM), after dehydrating the samples, they were suspended in a mixture of butanol and ethanol (1:2) at room temperature for 15 minutes. This process was repeated with different ratios of butanol to ethanol (2:1) until reaching 100% butanol.
· Subsequently, the samples were embedded in DGD by gradually transitioning them from butanol to DGD with increasing concentrations of DGD and 15-minute incubations at 60°C at each stage.
· Finally, the samples were incubated at 60°C with 100% DGD for 1 hour. The blocks were cooled, trimmed, and sectioned using an ultramicrotome with a glass knife set at a 10° angle.
· The sections were placed on poly-L-lysine coated copper grids and dried. The DGD was removed from the sections and then dried using CO2 critical point drying.

Diethylene Glycol Distearate as an Embedding Medium for Immunofluorescence Microscopy

Valdimarsson, G., & Huebner, E. Biochemistry and Cell Biology, 1989, 67, 242-245.

Diethylene glycol distearate (DGD) has been tested as an embedding medium for indirect immunofluorescence microscopy of tissue sections. Ovarioles from the hemipteran insect Rhodnius prolixus were fixed in paraformaldehyde/glutaraldehyde, dehydrated in ethanol and 1-butanol, infiltrated with molten diethylene glycol distearate (with 0.5% DMSO) at 55-60 °C and sectioned at 1-2 µm on an ultramicrotome. After removal of diethylene glycol distearate with 1-butanol, sections were stained with anti-tubulin primary antibodies followed by fluorescein-conjugated secondary antibodies.
Flat, brightly stained sections with low background fluorescence were routinely obtained, clearly revealing microtubule-rich trophic cords, trophic cores and delicate cytoplasmic networks in nurse cells and oocytes. Compared with PEG embedding, which often yields difficulty in obtaining flat sections, diethylene glycol distearate offers all the required features of a good embedding medium: easy removal with organic solvents, permeability to antibodies, and minimal autofluorescence.
Diethylene glycol distearate is therefore generally applicable for the immunofluorescence localization of cytoskeletal proteins in complex tissues.

Diethylene Glycol Distearate (DGD): A Versatile Embedding Medium for Retinal Cytochemistry

Huang, J. C., Mieziewska, K., Philp, N., van Veen, T., & Aguirre, G. D. Journal of Neuroscience Methods, 1993, 47, 227-234.

Diethylene glycol distearate (DGD) has been used as a versatile embedding medium for retinal cytochemistry, including in situ hybridization, immunocytochemistry and lectin cytochemistry. Normal retinas from four mammalian species (dog, cat, cow and rhesus monkey) and a dog model of hereditary retinal degeneration (progressive rod-cone degeneration) were fixed, dehydrated and embedded in diethylene glycol distearate through butanol transition steps, then sectioned semi-thin.
Diethylene glycol distearate is a hard synthetic wax that permits sectioning of semi-thin or thin sections and is removable by organic solvents. Compared with standard cryosections, which often show poor morphology of photoreceptor inner and outer segments and may detach during prolonged in situ hybridization washes, and with acrylamide or paraffin, which generally cannot provide sections thinner than 3-5 µm, diethylene glycol distearate preserves fine tissue detail and supports good reaction sensitivity, comparable to 1-µm plastic sections or confocal scanning laser microscopy of 7-10 µm sections.
Observations with diverse probes (cRNA probes, antibodies and lectins) emphasize the versatility and enhanced resolution of diethylene glycol distearate, making it more suitable than most other methods currently used for light-microscopic retinal cytochemistry.

Custom Q&A

What is the molecular formula of diethylene glycol distearate?

The molecular formula of diethylene glycol distearate is C40H78O5.

What are some synonyms of diethylene glycol distearate?

Some synonyms of diethylene glycol distearate are Witconol CAD and Oxydiethylene stearate.

What is the molecular weight of diethylene glycol distearate?

The molecular weight of diethylene glycol distearate is 639.0 g/mol.

When was diethylene glycol distearate created?

Diethylene glycol distearate was created on March 27, 2005.

When was diethylene glycol distearate last modified?

Diethylene glycol distearate was last modified on October 21, 2023.

What is the IUPAC name of diethylene glycol distearate?

The IUPAC name of diethylene glycol distearate is 2-(2-octadecanoyloxyethoxy)ethyl octadecanoate.

What is the InChI of diethylene glycol distearate?

The InChI of diethylene glycol distearate is InChI=1S/C40H78O5/c1-3-5-7-9-11-13-15-17-19-21-23-25-27-29-31-33-39(41)44-37-35-43-36-38-45-40(42)34-32-30-28-26-24-22-20-18-16-14-12-10-8-6-4-2/h3-38H2,1-2H3.

What is the InChIKey of diethylene glycol distearate?

The InChIKey of diethylene glycol distearate is YKDMBTQVKVEMSA-UHFFFAOYSA-N.

What is the Canonical SMILES of diethylene glycol distearate?

The Canonical SMILES of diethylene glycol distearate is CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC(=O)OCCOCCOC(=O)CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC.

What is the CAS number of diethylene glycol distearate?

The CAS number of diethylene glycol distearate is 109-30-8.