Practical aspects of hydrophobic polycationic bactericidal "paints"
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Updated: Jul 6, 2026

An Inverse Analysis Approach to the Characterization of Chemical Transport in Paints
Published on: August 29, 2014
Koushik Mukherjee1, Jaime J Rivera, Alexander M Klibanov
1Departments of Chemistry and Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
Abstract:
We previously discovered that coating solid surfaces with long-chained linear N-dodecyl,N-methyl-polyethylenimine makes them bactericidal and virucidal. In the present study, focusing on the use of this microbicidal paint to kill airborne Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, we have systematically investigated the dependence of this effect on the concentration and mode of application of the hydrophobic polycation, the number of coats, the nature of the solvent, and the presence of a dye in such paint. In addition, the latter's ability to be regenerated after use, stability upon repeated washings, and mammalian toxicity has been evaluated.
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