Laboratory Reagents

Laboratory reagents are high-purity substances or compounds used in laboratory settings to detect, measure, or produce other substances. While the terms “reagent” and “reactant” are often used interchangeably, a reagent is specifically selected for its ability to trigger a predictable chemical or biological reaction to provide information.

They are essential in fields like chemistry, biology, biochemistry, diagnostics, and research for tasks such as analytical testing, synthesis, and quality control.

Common Types and Examples

Reagents come in various grades (e.g., analytical reagent/AR for high purity, general reagent/GR, or laboratory grade) and forms (organic, inorganic, solvents, buffers).

Here are examples of common categories:

• Acids — Hydrochloric acid (HCl), sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄), acetic acid.
• Bases — Sodium hydroxide (NaOH), ammonia (NH₃).
• Solvents — Ethanol, methanol, acetone, distilled water.
• Indicators — Phenolphthalein (for pH titrations), bromothymol blue.
• Oxidizing agents — Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), potassium permanganate (KMnO₄).
• Buffers — Phosphate buffer, Tris buffer (maintain stable pH).
• Specific test reagents — Fehling’s reagent (for sugars), Tollens’ reagent (for aldehydes).

Reagents must be handled with care, stored properly (e.g., in labeled bottles away from incompatibles), and chosen based on purity needs for accurate results. Suppliers like Accumax India provide high-quality options for labs.