TABLE 7.

Possible transport of some antiseptics and disinfectants into gram-negative bacteria^a

Antiseptic/disinfectant	Passage across OMb	Passage across IMb
Chlorhexidine	Self-promoted uptake(?)	IM is a major target site; damage to IM enables biocide to enter cytosol, where further interaction occurs
QACs	Self-promoted uptake(?); also, OM might present a barrier	IM is a major target site; damage to IM enables biocide to enter cytosol, where further interaction occurs
Phenolics	Hydrophobic pathway (activity increases as hydrophobicity of phenolic increases)	IM is a major target site, but high phenolic concentrations coagulate cytoplasmic constituents

^aData from references 197, 433 to 435, 438, and 439. 

^bOM, outer membrane; IM, inner membrane.