Hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide, a bactericidal, is a cationic detergent. Its activity can be neutralized by soaps and anionic detergents. Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) is effective against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria at alkaline pH.

Hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide has been used:

• as a component in sodium phosphate buffer to homogenize tissues for determining myeloperoxidase activity
• in the synthesis of gold nanorods with surface plasmon resonance for a comparative study
• in the synthesis of gold nanorods to study the influence of good hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and CTAB with iodide impurities on the synthesis

Hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide or cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) can be used to isolate plant high molecular weight DNA (by a rapid method) as well as plant DNA for use in polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. It plays a key role in precipitating nucleic acids. CTAB can be used as titrant for potentiometric titration of perchlorate. It can also be used as a phase-transfer catalyst in the reduction of arenes and heterocyclic compounds. It is suitable for determining protein molecular weights in electrophoretic systems. CTAB can also be used to determine critical micelle concentration of detergents.

The product is not intended for use as a biocide under global biocide regulations, including but not limited to US EPA′s Federal Insecticide Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, European Biocidal Products Regulation, Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency, Turkey’s Biocidal Products Regulation, Korea’s Consumer Chemical Products and Biocide Safety Management Act (K-BPR) and others.