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Contact Active Antimicrobial Coatings Prepared by Polymer Blending
Rocío Cuervo-Rodríguez1, Fátima López-Fabal2, José L Gómez-Garcés2
1Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Avenida Complutense s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, 28040, Madrid, Spain.
Macromolecular Bioscience
|October 17, 2017
Summary
New antimicrobial films blend cationic copolymers with polystyrene for enhanced efficacy. These contact-active films show superior activity against bacteria and fungi, even with reduced antimicrobial content.
Area of Science:
- Polymer Science
- Materials Science
- Antimicrobial Technology
Background:
- Developing effective contact-active antimicrobial surfaces is crucial for infection control.
- Cationic amphiphilic block copolymers offer potential antimicrobial properties.
- Integrating these copolymers into existing materials like polystyrene (PS) can enhance their applicability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To create novel contact-active antimicrobial films by blending cationic amphiphilic block copolymers with polystyrene.
- To investigate the impact of varying copolymer content on antimicrobial efficacy.
- To explore the relationship between film morphology and antimicrobial performance.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of cationic amphiphilic block copolymers using atom transfer radical polymerization and click chemistry.
- Preparation of blend films with different ratios of polystyrene-block-poly(4-(1-(2-(4-methylthiazol-5-yl)ethyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)butyl methacrylate) (PS-b-PTTBM) and PS.
- Evaluation of antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria, Gram-negative bacteria, and fungi.
Main Results:
- Blend films, particularly those with 30 and 50 wt% copolymers, demonstrated excellent antimicrobial activity.
- Antimicrobial efficacy in blends surpassed that of films made solely from copolymers.
- A 50 wt% copolymer blend achieved over 99.999% killing efficiency against tested microorganisms.
- Increased film roughness in blends was correlated with enhanced antimicrobial activity.
Conclusions:
- Blending cationic copolymers with polystyrene effectively creates highly active antimicrobial films.
- The use of blends reduces the required amount of antimicrobial agent while improving performance.
- This approach offers a promising strategy for designing advanced antimicrobial coatings with enhanced surface properties.