Cetrimonium bromide, also known with the abbreviation CTAB, is a quaternary ammonium surfactant with a condensed structural formula [(C16H33)N(CH3)3]Br.

At 303 K (30 °C) it forms micelles with aggregation number 75–120 (depending on method of determination; average ~95) and degree of ionization, α = 0.2–0.1 (fractional charge; from low to high concentration).

[5] CTAB has been shown to have potential use as an apoptosis-promoting anticancer agent for head and neck cancer (HNC).

[6] In vitro, CTAB interacted additively with γ radiation and cisplatin, two standard HNC therapeutic agents.

CTAB exhibited anticancer cytotoxicity against several HNC cell lines with minimal effects on normal fibroblasts, a selectivity that exploits cancer-specific metabolic aberrations.

In vivo, CTAB ablated tumor-forming capacity of FaDu cells and delayed established tumor growth.

Thus, this approach identified CTAB as a potential apoptogenic quaternary ammonium compound possessing in vitro and in vivo efficacy against HNC models.

[citation needed] CTAB is an essential surfactant in the DNA extraction buffer system that removes membrane lipids and promotes cell lysis.

Gold (Au) nanoparticles are interesting to researchers because of their unique properties that can be used in applications such as catalysis, optics, electronics, sensing, and medicine.

CTAB may control nanoparticle size and shape by selectively or more strongly binding to various emerging crystal facets.

For example, in aqueous gold nanoparticle syntheses, chlorauric acid (HAuCl4) may react with CTAB to create a CTA+-AuCl−4 complex.

However, CTA+-AuCl−4 should not be called a complex, electrostatic interaction of quaternary ammonium cation with AuCl−4 results in formation of an ion pair at best.

Typical microporous materials are crystalline framework solids, such as zeolites, but the largest pore dimensions are still below 2 nm, which greatly limits application.

These pores mimicked precisely the structure of the mesoscale soft template and led to highly ordered mesoporous silica materials.

The Santa Cruz Biotechnology, Inc.[14] offers a comprehensive MSDS for CTAB and should be referred to for additional questions or concerns.

[15] Animal testing has shown ingestion of less than 150 g of the agent can lead to adverse health effects or possibly death by CTAB causing chemical burns throughout the esophagus and gastrointestinal tract that can be followed by nausea and vomiting.

[16] Toxicity has also been tested on aquatic life including Brachydanio rerio (zebrafish) and Daphnia magna (water flea).

The first method showed CTAB exchanging with phospholipids, causing rearrangement of the membrane, allowing β-galactoside to enter into the cell by way of cavities.