Tailoring Macromolecular Structure of Cationic Polymers towards Efficient Contact Active Antimicrobial Surfaces

Abstract

Abstract:The aim of this work is the preparation of contact active antimicrobial films by blending copolymers with quaternary ammonium salts and polyacrylonitrile as matrix material. A series of copolymers based on acrylonitrile and methacrylic monomers with quaternizable groups were designed with the purpose of investigating the influence of their chemical and structural characteristics on the antimicrobial activity of these surfaces. The biocide activity of these systems was studied against different microorganisms, such as the Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and the Gram-negative bacteria Pseudomona aeruginosa and the yeast Candida parapsilosis. The results confirmed that parameters such as flexibility and polarity of the antimicrobial polymers immobilized on the surfaces strongly affect the efficiency against microorganisms. In contrast to the behavior of copolymers in water solution, when they are tethered to the surface, the active cationic groups are less accessible and then, the mobility of the side chain is critical for a good contact with the microorganism. Blend films composed of copolymers with high positive charge density and chain mobility present up to a more than 99.999% killing efficiency against the studied microorganisms.

In-vitro evaluation of antibacterial and antibiofilm efficiency of radiation-modified polyurethane–ZnO nanocomposite to be used as a self-disinfecting catheter

“…Covalent immobilization of antibiotics within the polymeric material is one of the state of the art antimicrobial polymers designed to combat biofilm formation on biomaterial, offering long-term durability (Xue, Xiao, & Zhang, 2015). These polymers are contact-active ones that kill bacteria upon contact (Tejero et al, 2018). Cefepime is a zwitterionic oxymino β-lactam with an aminothiazole side chain that inhibits bacterial cell wall synthesis through binding to penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) and impeding the final transpeptidation step in peptidoglycan synthesis resulting in cell lysis (Dabrowska, Starek, Krzek, Papp, & Król, 2015).…”

“…In comparison to biocide-releasing polymers, they show higher chemical stability; long-term activity due to the covalent bonding, which guarantees permanent retention of the drug within the catheter material; limited abilities for developing antibiotic resistance, as the microorganisms are not exposed to sub-inhibitory concentrations of biocides; limited residual toxicity. The used biocides include antibiotics, quaternary ammonium compounds, phenols, iodine or metal nanoparticles (NPs) such as silver or zinc (Adlhart et al, 2018;Tejero et al, 2018;Xue et al, 2015). Radiationinduced grafting is a simple and efficient technique for functionalization of polymers through covalent bonding.…”

Antibacterial Amphiphilic Copolymers of Dimethylamino Ethyl Methacrylate and Methyl Methacrylate to Control Biofilm Adhesion for Antifouling Applications

“…Biofouling is the growth of microbes on exterior of material that initiated by protein adsorption or microorganisms on the surface of substrate that is a ubiquitous challenge for a number of bio medical applications [ 1 , 2 ]. Biofouling also occurs on different prosthetic devices, surgical equipment, protective apparel, sensors, drug delivery devices, contact lenses, medical implants, and bioreactors that causes adverse effects on human health [ 3 , 4 ].…”

Providing Antibacterial Activity to Poly(2-Hydroxy Ethyl Methacrylate) by Copolymerization with a Methacrylic Thiazolium Derivative

“…Recently, we developed a series of polycations based on polymethacrylates bearing pendant 1,3-thiazolium groups, which have demonstrated high activity against a broad spectrum of bacteria [20,21,22]. In addition, antimicrobial polymeric coatings have been prepared from these polycations by blending with hydrophobic polymers typically used in medical devices, such as polyacrylonitrile or polystyrene [23,24,25].…”