Preparation of thermosensitive and superabsorbent polymer hydrogels from trialkyl‐4‐vinylbenzyl phosphonium chloride‐N‐isopropylacrylamide‐N,N′‐methylenebisacrylamide copolymers and their properties

Thermosensitive and superabsorbent polymer hydrogels were synthesized by copolymerization of three kinds of tri‐n‐alkyl vinylbenzyl phosphonium chlorides (TRVB) with different lengths of alkyl chains, N‐isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm), and N,N′‐methylenebisacrylamide (MBAAm). The water‐absorption ability and antibacterial activity of the hydrogels against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) were investigated. The water content of TRVB–NIPAAm–MBAAm copolymers decreased with increasing temperature and increased with increasing phosphonium groups in the copolymers, while it decreased with increasing chain length of the alkyl groups in the phosphonium groups as well as with an increasing degree of crosslinking in the copolymers. The TRVB–NIPAAm–MBAAm copolymers with a higher TRVB content in the copolymers exhibited higher antibacterial activity against S. aureus, but decreased with increasing chain length of alkyl groups in phosphonium groups. The TRVB–NIPAAm–MBAAm copolymers exhibited the highest antibacterial activity at 30°C against S. aureus in deionized water. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 79: 115–124, 2001     

Graft copolymerization of vinyl monomers bearing positive charges or episulfide groups onto loofah fibers and their antibacterial activity

Ion exchange fibers with quaternary ammonium groups, phosphonium groups, or thiol groups etc., were prepared by graft copolymerization of vinyl monomers on loofah fiber which is one of the natural fibers. Methacryloyloxyethyl trimethyl ammonium chloride (METAC), tributyl‐4‐vinylbenzyl phosphonium chloride (TRVB), and epithiopropyl methacrylate (ETMA) were used as vinyl monomers. Graft copolymerization of METAC on loofah could be carried out in water using ammonium cerium (IV) nitrate. Graft copolymerization of TRVB and ETMA on loofah could be performed in water and water‐dimethylsulfoxide mixed solution using hydrogen peroxide as an initiator, respectively. The optimum conditions for each graft copolymerization were investigated in detail. Ion exchange fibers (LE‐TTA) having both thiol groups and triethylenetetramine side chains were obtained by treatment of L‐g‐ETMA (LE) with triethylenetetramine. LE and LE‐TTA had high adsorption ability for silver ions. LE‐TTA‐Ag exhibited high antibacterial activity against E. Eoli and S. aureus, but LE‐Ag did not. On the other hand, L‐g‐METAC and L‐g‐TRVB also exhibited high antibacterial activity against E. Eoli and S. aureus. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 77: 1077–1086, 2000     

Synthesis of water‐soluble thermosensitive polymers having phosphonium groups from methacryloyloxyethyl trialkyl phosphonium chlorides–N‐isopropylacrylamide copolymers and their functions

Water‐soluble thermosensitive polymers having phosphonium groups were synthesized by the copolymerization of N‐isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) with methacryloyloxyethyl trialkyl phosphonium chlorides (METRs) having varying alkyl lengths. The relative viscosities of the copolymer solutions increased with increasing content of phosphonium groups in the copolymers and decreased with increasing chain length of alkyl chains in the phosphonium groups. However, the copolymers of METR with octyl groups in phosphonium groups (METO) and NIPAAm became water insoluble with increasing contents of METO moieties in the copolymers. The transmittance at 660 nm of the copolymer solutions above the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) decreased gradually with increasing temperature and decreased with increasing chain length of alkyl chains in the phosphonium groups. The transmittance at 660 nm of the copolymer solutions above the LCST was greatly affected by the addition of neutral salts such as KCl. The copolymers of METR with ethyl groups in phosphonium groups and NIPAAm and those of METR with butyl groups in phosphonium groups and NIPAAm had high flocculating abilities against bacterial suspensions. The METO–NIPAAm copolymer was found to have a high antibacterial activity. The flocculating ability and the antibacterial activity of the copolymers were affected by not only the content of phosphonium groups but also the alkyl chain length in the phosphonium groups in the copolymers. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 87: 386–393, 2003     

Synthesis and antimicrobial activity of some cross‐linked copolymers with alkyl chains of various lengths

Amphoteric polymer hydrogels were prepared by the copolymerization of three kinds of N,N′‐dimethyl‐N‐alkylmethacryloxylethyl ammoniumbromide (DMAEA) with different lengths of alkyl chains (DMAEA‐RB) (R‐ehtyl/hexyl/dodecyl), acrylic acid (AA), and acrylamide (AM). The water content of the AA‐AM‐(DMAEA‐RB) terpolymers decreased with the increasing length of alkyl chains in quaternary ammonium group in the terpolymers and increased with the increasing molar ratio of DMAEA‐RB to 2 mol % and then decreased. Their antibacterial activities against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus hyicus were investigated by a colony count method. It was found that the copolymer exhibited higher antibacterial activity with increasing chain length of alkyl groups in ammonium groups. For P[AA‐AM‐(DMAEA‐DB)], the DMAEA‐DB content is higher and contact time is longer, its antibacterial activity is better. However, when the contact time and quaternary ammonium content were above 30 min and 2%, respectively, the amount of live cells N(t) in a cell suspension increased in the presence of P[AA‐AM‐(DMAEA‐EB)] or P[AA‐AM‐(DMAEA‐HB)]. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Polystyrene nanocomposite materials by in situ polymerization into montmorillonite–vinyl monomer interlayers

A different series of new polystyrene–clay nanocomposites have been prepared by grafting polymerization of styrene with vinyl‐montmorillonite (MMT) clay. The synthesis was achieved through two steps. The first step is the modification of clay with the vinyl monomers, such as N,N‐dimethyl‐n‐octadecyl‐4‐vinylbenzyl‐ammonium chloride, n‐octadecyl‐4‐vinylbenzyl‐ammonium chloride, triphenyl‐4‐vinylbenzyl‐phosphonium chloride, and tri‐n‐butyl‐4‐vinylbenzyl‐phosphonium chloride. The second step is the polymerization of styrene with different ratios of vinyl‐MMT clay. The materials produced were characterized by different physical and chemical methods: (1) IR spectra, confirming the intercalation of the vinyl‐cation within the clay interlayers; (2) thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), showing higher thermal stability for PS–nanocomposites than polystyrene (PS) and higher thermal stability of nanocomposites with of phosphonium moieties than nanocomposites with ammonium moieties; (3) swelling measurements in different organic solvents, showing that the swelling degree in hydrophobic solvents increases as the clay ratio decreases; (4) X‐ray diffraction (XRD), illustrating that the nanocomposites were exfoliated at up to a 25 wt % of organoclay content; and (5) scanning electron microscopy (SEM), showing a complete dispersion of PS into clay galleries. Also, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed nanosize spherical particles of ～ 150–400 nm appearing in the images. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 103: 3739–3750, 2007     

Preparation of partly hydrophobized,crosslinked polyacrylamide particles by terpolymerization of acrylamide/ N,N‐methylenebisacrylamide/styrene in inverse microemulsion

Free‐radical polymerization of a termonomer system comprising acrylamide (AAm) N,N ′‐methylenebisacrylamide (MBAAm) and styrene (S) initiated by water‐soluble ammonium peroxodisulphate (APS) or by toluene‐soluble dibenzoyl peroxide (DBP) in inverse microemulsion (toluene/S/AOT//water//AAm/MBAAm), leads to the formation of partly hydrophobized crosslinked polymer particles of tailored chemical composition, degree of crosslinking and polymer particle size. Styrene strongly decreases the rate of terpolymerization, while the presence of MBAAm has almost no effect on the polymerization rates observed. This conclusion is valid for both APS and DBP initiators. Increase of the S/T mass ratio (T is toluene) in inverse microemulsion leads to an increase of polymer particle diameter from about 20 nm to about 50 nm attributed to toluene swelling of the styrene‐rich structural moieties of AAm‐co‐S copolymer located on the surface of polymer particles. Polymerization kinetics measurements pointed to the important role of exiting water soluble AAm and MBAAm monomer radicals generated by thermal decomposition of APS in water pools of inverse micelles for initiation of polymerization reactions of sparingly water‐soluble S monomer in the oil‐phase of the inverse microemulsion. It was shown that the polymerization and copolymerization reactions of S in the presence of AAm and/or MBAAm are effectively initiated by water‐soluble APS and also by oil‐soluble DBP initiators. During dialysis the polymerized single‐phase water/oil Winsor IV inverse microemulsion gradually converts itself into a two‐phase oil/water Winsor I dispersion system with volume fraction of aqueous phase Φ_aw ≈ 0.950. The water phase contains water swelled, crosslinked polymer particles of diameters 80–300 nm. During dialysis, toluene and the sodium salt of bis(2‐ethyl hexyl)sulphosuccinic acid (AOT) partition between the oil phase of the dialysed dispersion system and the water dialysate. After evaporation of water from the dialysed inverse microemulsion, solid, dried, crosslinked polymer particles in the form of a transparent film, almost uncontaminated by AOT surfactant, were obtained. © 2000 Society of Chemical Industry     

Polymeric phosphonium salts as a novel class of cationic biocides. X. Antibacterial activity of filters incorporating phosphonium biocides

Phosphonium salts with different alkyl chains as substituents were incorporated covalently on the surfaces of cellulose filters with silane coupling agents containing phosphonium ions, and their surface antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli were explored by the viable cell-counting method in sterile distilled water. The filters incorporating phosphonium biocides showed higher antibacterial activity, and its activity strongly depended on the structure of substituents. The surface-treated filters may be used to sterilize air and water, including microorganisms. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Preparation and Swelling Properties of Temperature‐Sensitive Semi‐Interpenetrating Polymer Networks Composed of Poly[(N‐tert‐butylacrylamide)‐co‐acrylamide] and Hydroxypropyl Cellulose

Summary: Temperature‐responsive hydrogels based on linear HPC and crosslinked P(NTBA‐co‐AAm) were prepared by the semi‐IPN technique. The structure of these semi‐IPN hydrogels was investigated by FT‐IR spectroscopy. An increase in normalized band ratios (A₂₉₈₀/A₁₆₆₅) was observed with increasing HPC content in the initial mixture. The swelling kinetics and water transport mechanism of these semi‐IPN hydrogels were examined and their temperature responsive behaviors were also investigated by measuring equilibrium swelling ratios and pulsatile swelling experiments. The results showed that these semi‐IPN hydrogels underwent a volume phase transition between 18 and 22 °C irrespective of the amounts of MBAAm and HPC. However, below the volume phase transition temperature, their equilibrium swelling ratios were affected by the amount of MBAAm and HPC. The pulsatile swelling experiments indicated that the lower the MBAAm and the higher HPC contents in semi‐IPN hydrogels the faster the response rate temperature change.

Equilibrium swelling ratios of the semi‐IPN P(NTBA‐co‐AAm)/HPC hydrogels in water shown as a function of temperature.     

Structural aspects and nature of swelling medium as equilibrium swelling determinants of acrylamide and cellulosic‐based smart hydrogels

Hydroxypropylcellulose (HPC)‐based interpenetrating networks (IPN) with acrylamide (AAm) were synthesized in aqueous medium by simultaneous γ‐ray initiation in the presence of N,N‐methylenebisacrylamide (N,N‐MBAAm). The effect of the synthetic reaction conditions was evaluated for optimum network yield and networks of cellulose and some of its derivatives were obtained with AAm by using these conditions. FTIR, elemental analysis, and scanning electron micrography (SEM) for various structural aspects have characterized networks. Apart from kinetics of IPN formation, this article discusses swelling response of these novel hydrogels in different swelling media. Swelling behavior was studied as a function of synthetic reaction conditions, structure of cellulosics used, and nature of swelling medium (water, 0.5N NaOH, 0.5N HCl, and 5% NaCl). Equilibrium swelling was observed to depend on both structural and environmental factors. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 85: 1161–1169, 2002     

Polymeric phosphonium salts as a novel class of cationic biocides. VI. Antibacterial activity of fibers surface-treated with phosphonium salts containing trimethoxysilane groups

Alkoxysilane with phosphonium biocides as coupling agents were covalently attached to cotton-fiber surfaces, and the antibacterial activity of the surface-treated fibers against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli was evaluated by the viable cell counting method in sterile distilled water. These fibers with phosphonium salts were found to exhibit high antibacterial activity against S. aureus and E. coli, particularly against S. aureus, and the activity increased as hydrophobicity of the substituents bonded directly to phosphonium ions increased. Furthermore, morphological changes of the cells of S. aureus and E. Coli in contact with the fibers were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy. It was found that the fiber with the phosphonium biocides exhibited bacteriostatic as well as bactericidal activity against both strains, which was evident from observation of normal and deformed cells of these species in contact with the fibers. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Cure behavior and antimicrobial performance of sulfur‐cured natural rubber vulcanizates containing 2‐hydroxypropyl‐3‐piperazinylquinolinecarboxylic acid methacrylate or silver‐substituted zeolite

This work used 2‐hydroxypropyl‐3‐piperazinylquinolinecarboxylic acid methacrylate (HPQM) or silver‐substituted zeolite (SSZ) as antibacterial agents for natural rubber (NR) compounds vulcanized by conventional vulcanization (CV), semi‐efficient vulcanization, and efficient vulcanization (EV) systems. The cure behavior and antibacterial performance of the NR vulcanizates were studied by varying the loadings of HPQM or SSZ, contact times, and vulcanization systems. The antibacterial performance of the rubber compounds was examined by halo test and plate‐count‐agar methods against Escherichia coli (E. coli, ATCC 25922) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus, ATCC 25923) as the testing bacteria. The cure time and crosslink density were dependent on the vulcanization recipe used but were not affected by the addition of HPQM or SSZ. Diphenylguanidine at the level of 1.0 phr (parts by weight per hundred parts of resin) in NR vulcanized by the EV system had the ability to kill the E. coli and S. aureus bacteria. The NR vulcanized by the CV system showed the most pronounced antibacterial performance, as compared with the other two vulcanization systems, via migration and diffusion of HPQM or SSZ onto the NR surfaces, this being identified by the relatively large reduction of contact angle values. The HPQM showed the most preference for NR compounds vulcanized with the CV system with a contact time of 120 min or longer to achieve a bacteria‐killing efficacy of 99.0–99.9%, the efficacy being more pronounced for E. coli bacteria. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 19:123–131, 2013. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Synthesis of starch‐graft‐polyacrylonitrile hydrolyzate and its characterization

The graft copolymerization of three vinyl monomer species, acrylonitrile (AN), acrylamide (AAm), and acrylic acid (AA), onto starch was carried out with ceric salt (Ce salt) as an initiator. With 3 mmol/L Ce salt, the monomer activity onto starch decreased in the following order: AN > AAm > AA. Grafting efficiency with AN as the grafting monomer was greater than 90%, but with AA and AAm, it was less than 50%. Starch‐graft‐polyacrylonitrile was hydrolyzed to introduce amide and carboxyl groups into starch. The hydrolyzates were analyzed with infrared spectroscopy. The hydrolysis reaction was accelerated with increasing alkali concentration, reaction temperature, and time. The water absorbancy of the hydrolyzate increased with an increasing carboxyl molar fraction in the polymer, and it dissolved in water above a 0.6 molar fraction. The absorbancy of water was 2 times higher than that of a NaCl aqueous solution. The copper‐ion‐exchange capacity of the sample was greater in graft copolymers with higher carboxyl group contents. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 82: 1437–1443, 2001     

Enhanced mechanical properties and bactericidal activity of polypropylene nanocomposite with dual‐function silica–silver core‐shell nanoparticles

Dual‐function silica–silver core‐shell (SiO₂@Ag) nanoparticles (NPs) with the core diameter of 17 ± 2 nm and the shell thickness of about 1.5 nm were produced using a green chemistry. The SiO₂@Ag NPs were tested in vitro against gram‐positive Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and gram‐negative Escherichia coli (E. coli), both of which are human pathogens. Minimal inhibitory concentrations of the SiO₂@Ag NPs based on Ag content are 4 and 10 μg mL^?1 against S. aureus and E. coli, respectively. These values are similar to those of Ag NPs. SiO₂@Ag NPs were for the first time incorporated to a commodity polypropylene (PP) polymer. This yielded an advanced multifunctional polymer using current compounding technologies i.e., melt blending by twin‐screw extruder and solvent (toluene) blending. The composite containing 5 wt % SiO₂@Ag NPs (0.05 wt % Ag) exhibited efficient bactericidal activity with over 99.99% reduction in bacterial cell viability and significantly improved the flexural modulus of the PP. Anodic stripping voltammetry, used to investigate the antibacterial mechanism of the composite, indicated that a bactericidal Ag⁺ agent was released from the composite in an aqueous environment. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Comparison of antimicrobial activities of polyacrylonitrile fibers modified with quaternary phosphonium salts having different alkyl chain lengths

A series of polyacrylonitrile fibers (PANF) modified with quaternary phosphonium salts having various alkyl chain lengths (C₁, C₂, C₆, C₈, C₁₂) were synthesized and compared for their antimicrobial activities by the improved shake flask method. The as‐prepared fibers were named MTPB‐PANF, ETPB‐PANF, HTPB‐PANF, OTPB‐PANF, and DTPB‐PANF, respectively. The representative microorganisms employed were Escherichia coli (E. coli), Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa), and Candida albicans (C. albicans). Results from the current study showed that the alkyl chain length of quaternary phosphonium salts not only affected the synthesis of the fibers, but also impacted their antimicrobial activities. There was a rule that the longer the alkyl chain length, the more easily the quaternary phosphonium salts modify the fibers and the better the antimicrobial activities of the modified fibers. All the modified fibers exhibited good broad‐spectrum antimicrobial activities. Specifically, DTPB‐PANF exhibited an outstandingly high antimicrobial activity, which was nearly unaffected by the environmental pH (3–10). It can kill all the four pathogens in 15 min and had an excellent wash‐resistant property. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 43689.     

Adsorption and antibacterial activity of silver‐dispersed carbon aerogels

Silver‐dispersed carbon aerogels (Ag/CAs) were obtained by the direct immersion of organic aerogels in aqueous AgNO₃ solutions and then carbonization of the resulting material under a nitrogen atmosphere. The adsorption and antibacterial activity of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus on Ag/CAs were studied by the measurement of the amount of viable bacteria in suspensions and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations. The adsorbed amount of bacteria on samples without silver increased with an increase in the carbonization temperature and contact time. SEM studies showed that the adsorption capacity of Ag/CAs decreased with an increase in the silver content; this was considered to be mainly due to the dissolution behavior of bacteria by silver ions. The antibacterial test showed that 2.5 mg of Ag/CAs with more than 3.6% Ag could inhibit the growth of 10⁵ cfu/mL E. coli in 10 mL of a Mueller–Hinton broth culture, but in the case of S. aureus, 10‐mg samples just got the same antibacterial effect. An antibacterial persistency test showed that 25 mg of Ag/CAs with 6.5% Ag could kill 50 mL of 10⁵ cfu/mL E. coli eight times. These results indicate that Ag/CAs possess strong and long‐term antibacterial activity. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 102: 1030–1037, 2006     

Synthesis and Properties of N‐Alkyl–N,N‐Dimethyl‐N‐(o‐Hydroxymethyl)Benzylammonium Chlorides

A series of N‐alkyl–N,N‐dimethyl‐N‐(o‐hydroxymethyl)benzylammonium chlorides surfactants (DHBA‐m) were synthesized using o‐chloromethylbenzyl alcohol and N‐alkyl–N,N‐dimethyl tertiary amine as raw materials. The structure of the products was confirmed by FT‐IR, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR and MS. DHBA‐m surfactants exhibit low Krafft points and high surface activities. The process of micellization of DHBA‐m is spontaneous, exothermic, and entropy‐driven. The hydroxymethyl substitution increases hydrophobicity of DHBA‐m, thus making micellization more favorable compared with that of N‐dodecyl–N,N‐dimethyl‐N‐benzylammonium chlorides (DDBAC‐m). The bactericidal activity of DHBA‐m is stronger on E. coli than that of DDBAC‐12, and DHBA‐16 shows strong bactericidal activity on Salmonella, S. aureus, and Streptococcus.     

Synthesis and Evaluation of N‐Phenylpyrrolamides as DNA Gyrase B Inhibitors

ATP‐competitive inhibitors of DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV are among the most interesting classes of antibacterial drugs that are unrepresented in the antibacterial pipeline. We developed 32 new N‐phenylpyrrolamides and evaluated them against DNA gyrase and topoisomerase IV from E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Antibacterial activities were studied against Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative bacterial strains. The most potent compound displayed an IC₅₀ of 47 nm against E. coli DNA gyrase, and a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 12.5 μm against the Gram‐positive Enterococcus faecalis. Some compounds displayed good antibacterial activities against an efflux‐pump‐deficient E. coli strain (MIC=6.25 μm ) and against wild‐type E. coli in the presence of efflux pump inhibitor PAβN (MIC=3.13 μm ). Here we describe new findings regarding the structure–activity relationships of N‐phenylpyrrolamide DNA gyrase B inhibitors and investigate the factors that are important for the antibacterial activity of this class of compounds.     

Antibacterial activity and cytotoxicity of hydrogel–nanosilver composites based on copolymers from 2‐acrylamido‐2‐methylpropanesulfonate sodium

In this research, we contributed to the search for potential hydrogel–silver dressings by generating hydrogel–silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) composites prepared by the dipping of the crosslinked hydrogel poly(N‐vinylpyrrolidone‐co‐2‐acrylamido‐2‐methylpropanesulfonate sodium) (1:1) and poly(acrylamide‐co‐2‐acrylamido‐2‐methylpropanesulfonate sodium) (1:1) into an aqueous suspension of citrate‐stabilized AgNPs. The composites obtained were evaluated by an antibacterial activity assay on Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli and subjected to an in vitro cytotoxicity assay for human fibroblasts. The composite formed from the hydrogel poly(N‐vinylpyrrolidone‐co‐2‐acrylamido‐2‐methylpropanesulfonate sodium) with 3 mol % N,N‐methylene bisacrylamide showed the highest antibacterial activity and the least cytotoxicity among the composites tested; this makes it an excellent alternative as a potential dressing for the treatment of deep and exudative wounds. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 39644.     

New antimicrobial polyurea: Synthesis,characterization, and antibacterial activities of polyurea‐containing thiosemicarbazide–metal complexes

A novel class of polymer–metal complexes was prepared by the condensation of a polymeric ligand with transition‐metal ions. The polymeric ligand was prepared by the addition polymerization of thiosemicarbazides with toluene 2,4‐diisocyanate in a 1 : 1 molar ratio. The polymeric ligand and its polymer–metal complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and ¹³C‐NMR and ¹H‐NMR spectroscopy. The geometries of the central metal ions were determined by electronic spectra (UV–visible) and magnetic moment measurement. The antibacterial activities of all of the synthesized polymers were investigated against Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus (Gram positive) and Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhi (Gram negative). These compounds showed excellent antibacterial activities against these bacteria with the spread plate method on agar plates, and the number of viable bacteria were counted after 24 h of incubation period at 37°C. The antibacterial activity results revealed that the Cu(II) chelated polyurea showed a higher antibacterial activity than the other metal‐chelated polyureas. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Synthesis and antibacterial activity of copolymers having a quaternary ammonium salt side group

Copolymers with a quaternary ammonium salt side group have been prepared from vinylbenzyl–cetyldimethylammonium chloride and acrylonitrile and their antibacterial activity has been examined with Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli. Growth inhibitory effect has been found to increase with the increase in the quaternary ammonium salt concentration in the copolymer. The effect is small on gram-negative bacteria and large on gram-positive bacteria.