Cetrimonium bromide

Cetrimonium bromide (CAS 57-09-0), commonly known as CTAB, is a quaternary ammonium surfactant.

Where is Cetrimonium bromide used?

• Hair care: conditioning and detangling agent that adsorbs onto negatively charged hair, reducing static and improving combability
• Pharmaceuticals: preservative and solubilizer in topical preparations
• Laboratory and biotech: reagent for DNA extraction from plant samples and selective precipitation of nucleic acids from microbial samples
• Industrial cleaning and disinfection: active biocide in surface sanitizers, effective against gram-positive bacteria
• It functions primarily as a cationic surfactant and conditioning agent.

Good to know: Broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity against bacteria and fungi. Standard grades include pharmaceutical-grade material meeting USP and BP specifications, as well as technical-grade for industrial applications.

Commercial specifications

• Purity typically 96% or higher for pharmaceutical use
• Packaging from laboratory quantities to bulk supply