离散剂（英语：chaotropic agent）是一种打断如蛋白质与核酸（如DNA与RNA）等大分子结构并使其变性的物质。

离散溶质通过干扰由非共价力（如氢键、范德瓦耳斯力与疏水效应等）介导的分子间相互作用而增加体系的熵。

A chaotropic agent is a molecule in water solution that can disrupt the hydrogen bonding network between water molecules (i.e. exerts chaotropic activity). This has an effect on the stability of the native state of other molecules in the solution, mainly macromolecules (proteins, nucleic acids) by weakening the hydrophobic effect. For example, a chaotropic agent reduces the amount of order in the structure of a protein formed by water molecules, both in the bulk and the hydration shells around hydrophobic amino acids, and may cause its denaturation (biochemistry).