CPC is active and stable over a broad range of temperatures and is fairly tolerant
to hard water. An added advantage of CPC is that it can form a residual antimicrobial
film on surfaces leading to extended antimicrobial activity. The sanitizing activity of this
compound is directly related to the length of the carbon side ch
ain. Generally, the quaternary ammonium compounds adsorb to th
e bacterial cell surface, permeate and destroy the cell wall and cell membrane, and have
a direct or indirect lethal effect on the cell. In the specific case of CP
C and its closely related analogues, it has been shown that
they interact strongly with the negatively charged surfaces, e.g., blastospores of Candida albicans
, and their antimicrobial activity is related to their hydrophobicity