Electrochemical preparation of poly(N‐acetylaniline)/poly‐(4‐styrenesulfonic acid‐co‐maleic acid) composite film towards ascorbic acid sensing

Poly(N‐acetylaniline)/poly(4‐styrenesulfonic acid‐co‐maleic acid) (PNAANI/PSSMA) composite film was prepared by cyclic voltammetry (CV), and was characterized by FTIR and X‐ray photoelectron spectrum (XPS). The electroactivity of the composite film was high in neutral and basic solutions, and it had been used for amperometric determination of ascorbic acid (AA). Compared with pure PNAANI film, the catalytic activity of the composite film was much better. AA was detected amperometrically in sodium citrate buffer at a potential of 0.3 V (versus SCE). The response current was proportional to the concentration of ascorbic acid in the range of 4.7 × 10^?6 to 5.0 × 10^?5M and 5.0 × 10^?5 to 2.5 × 10^?3M, respectively, with the detection limit of 1.9 × 10^?6 mol L^?1 at a signal to noise ratio 3. In addition, the stability and reusability of the composite film were performed well, and it was satisfying to be used for determination of AA in real fruit juice samples. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Development of a disposable electrode modified with carbonized,graphene‐loaded nanofiber for the detection of dopamine in human serum

A one‐step electrode surface modification is proposed in which a disposable, screen‐printed carbon electrode is functionalized with carbonized, electrospun polyacrylonitrile (PAN)‐loaded graphene (G) nanoparticles to form a composite, CPAN5G‐4x. The electrochemical behavior of the CPAN5G‐4x electrode was examined by cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Scanning electron microscopy and X‐ray diffraction were used to characterize the surface morphology and physical properties of the carbonized composite nanofibers before and after modification. The modified electrode was found to be effective for the detection of dopamine (DA) using square‐wave voltammetry (SWV) in the presence of interfering substances such as ascorbic acid and uric acid. With the addition of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) to an optimized solution of phosphate‐buffered saline (PBS) at a pH of 2, the fabricated electrode exhibited enhanced electrocatalytic activity toward the oxidation of DA relative to PBS without SDS at a pH of 7.4. The SWV current displayed a linear response to DA concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 100 μM, with a limit of detection of 70 nM (S/N = 3) and a sensitivity of 1.4258 μA μM^?1 cm^?2. Finally, the CPAN5G‐4x electrode was used to determine DA levels in human serum. The modified electrode can potentially be harnessed for further electrochemical biosensor applications. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 40858.     

Electropreparation of (±)‐10‐camphorsulfonate‐doped poly(o‐phenylenediamine) in acetonitrile and its use in determination of glucose

Poly(o‐phenylenediamine) (PoPD) film has been electrochemically prepared on Pt electrode in an acetonitrile–water medium containing o‐phenylenediamine (oPD) monomer and (±)‐10‐camphorsulfonic acid (HCSA) by using the cyclic voltammetry (CV). The PoPD film (PoPD–CSA) has been characterized by FTIR, CV, EIS, FESEM, and conductivity measurement. The glucose biosensor (Pt/PoPD–CSA/GOx) has been prepared from the PoPD coated electrode by immobilizing glucose oxidase (GOx) enzyme using glutaraldehyde. The biosensor shows a low detection limit and wide linear working range, a good reusability, long‐term stability, and anti‐interference ability. The Pt/PoPD–CSA/GOx has possesses higher sensitivity (2.05 μA/mmol L^?1) and affinity to glucose due to the use of CSA ion as dopant. The linear concentration ranges of Pt/PoPD–CSA/GOx have been found to be 9.6 × 10^?3 to 8.2 mmol L^?1 from calibration curve and 4.6 × 10^?2 to 100 mmol L^?1 from the relationship between the (1/glucose concentration) and (1/current difference). © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 39864.     

Cathodically pretreated poly(1-aminoanthraquinone)-modified electrode for determination of ascorbic acid, dopamine, and uric acid

This paper describes a rapid and reliable method for dopamine (DA), ascorbic acid (AA), and uric acid (UA) determination in human urine using a cathodically pretreated poly(1-aminoanthraquinone) (PAAQ)-modified electrode. By applying a simple cathodic pretreatment to the PAAQ electrode well-defined voltammetric peaks for AA, DA, and UA were obtained. The pretreated PAAQ showed good selectivity, sensitivity, and repeatability for measuring AA, DA, and UA with detection limits of 2.50 × 10^?5, 3.05 × 10^?6, and 1.15 × 10^?5 M, respectively. The practical applicability of the modified electrode is illustrated by selective measurements of AA and UA in human urine without any preliminary treatment. Recovery values between 94.8 and 102 % for AA and between 77.8 and 100 % for UA were obtained with a relative standard deviation of 2.74 and 2.98 %, respectively.     

Investigation of charge transport properties in conducting copolymers of aniline with 3‐aminobenzenesulfonic acid for their applications as antistatic encapsulation materials blended with low‐density polyethylene

The electrostatic charge dissipative (ESD) properties of conducting self‐doped and PTSA-doped copolymers of aniline (AA), o‐methoxyaniline (methoxy AA) and o‐ethoxyaniline (ethoxy AA) with 3‐aminobenzenesulfonic acid (3‐ABSA) blended with low‐density polyethylene (LDPE) were investigated in the presence of external dopant p‐toluenesulfonic acid (PTSA). Blending of copolymers with LDPE was carried out in a twin‐screw extruder by melt blending by loading 1.0 and 2.0 wt% of conducting copolymer in the LDPE matrix. The conductivity of the blown polymers blended with LDPE was in the range 10^?12–10^?6 S cm^?1, showing their potential use as antistatic materials for the encapsulation of electronic equipment. The DC conductivity of all self‐doped homopolymers and PTSA‐doped copolymers was measured in the range 100–373 K. The room temperature conductivity (S cm^?1) of self‐doped copolymers was: poly(3‐ABSA‐co‐AA), 7.73 × 10^?4; poly(3‐ABSA‐co‐methoxy AA), 3.06 × 10^?6; poly(3‐ABSA‐co‐ethoxy AA), 2.99 × 10^?7; and of PTSA‐doped copolymers was: poly(3‐ABSA‐co‐AA), 4.34 × 10^?2; poly(3‐ABSA‐co‐methoxy AA), 9.90 × 10^?5; poly(3‐ABSA‐co‐ethoxy AA), 1.10 × 10^?5. The observed conduction mechanism for all the samples could be explained in terms of Mott's variable range hopping model; however, ESD properties are dependent upon the electrical conductivity. The antistatic decay time is least for the PTSA‐doped poly(3‐ABSA‐co‐AA), which has maximum conductivity among all the samples. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry     

Determination of hydroquinone using poly(3‐methylthiophene) synthesized electrochemically on pt electrode in methylene chloride

Poly(3‐methylthiophene) (P3MT) film was synthesized by potentiodynamic method on Pt electrode in methylene chloride solution containing 0.10M tetrabuthlammonium perchlorate supporting electrolyte and used for the determination of hydroquinone (HQ) with amperometric I–t method in solution consisting of NaHSO₄/Na₂SO₄ (SBS; pH 2.0). This modified electrode has a lower working potential and good operational stability due to reducing electrode fouling when compared with the direct oxidation of HQ at the bare Pt electrode. Limit of detection, limit of quantification, and the linear response range were found to be 1.32 × 10^?5 mM, 4.41 × 10^?5 mM, and between 4.41 × 10^?5 – 50.0 mM (R² = 0.997), at 0.50 V versus saturated calomel electrode, respectively. HQ determination in complex matrix was checked using real samples to demonstrate the applicability of modified electrode. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 40859.     

Construction of a novel sensor based on electropolymerization of carmine for voltammetric determination of 4‐nitrophenol

4‐Nitrophenol (4‐NP) has been determined with voltammetric technique based on a novel sensor fabricated by electropolymerization of carmine on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE). An obvious reduction peak located at about ?0.700 V and a couple of redox peaks that were not well‐defined were observed in the potential range of ?1.00 to 0.600 V. Compared with its voltammetric behavior on a bare GCE, the reduction peak potential shifted positively and the peak current increased significantly. All experimental parameters were optimized and linear sweep voltammetry was proposed for its determination. In the optimal conditions, the reduction peak current was proportional to the 4‐NP concentration over the concentration range from 5.00 × 10^?8 to 1.00 × 10^?5 mol L^?1, and the detection limit was 1.00 × 10^?8 mol L^?1 after 200 s of accumulation. The high sensitivity and selectivity of the sensor was demonstrated by its practical application for the determination of trace amounts of 4‐NP in lake water. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 103: 3271–3277, 2007     

Selective determination of dopamine in the presence of ascorbic acid using ferrocenyl-tethered PAMAM dendrimers modified glassy carbon electrode

Determination of dopamine (DA) in the absence and presence of ascorbic acid (AA) by ferrocenyl-tethered PAMAM G3 dendrimers (Fc-D) modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) was reported. The modified electrode was characterized with cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Factors influencing the detection processes were optimized and kinetic parameters were calculated. The sensor exhibited excellent catalytic activities for the oxidation–reduction reactions of DA and eliminated the interference of AA. Under optimal condition, the linear range of 1 × 10⁻⁵–1.5 × 10⁻³ mol L⁻¹ and the detection limit of 4.7 × 10⁻⁶ mol L⁻¹ was obtained. This study provides a new idea for the determination of DA in the presence of AA.     

Determination of epigallocatechin‐3‐gallate with a high‐efficiency electrochemical sensor based on a molecularly imprinted poly(o‐phenylenediamine) film

An electrochemical molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) sensor for detecting the existence of epigallocatechin‐3‐gallate (EGCG) in tea and its products was successfully developed on the basis of a glassy carbon electrode modified with an electropolymerized nonconducting poly(o‐phenylenediamine) film. The properties of the electrode were characterized by cyclic voltammetry, differential pulse voltammetry, and infrared spectroscopy. The template molecules could be rapidly and thoroughly removed by methanol/acetic acid. The linear response range for EGCG was 5.0 × 10^?7–1.0 × 10^?4 mol/L, and the limit of detection was as low as 1.6 × 10^?7 mol/L. The prepared MIP sensor could discriminate between EGCG and its analogs. In addition, satisfactory results were obtained in the detection of real tea samples. The results of our investigation indicate that the MIP sensor was useful for the determination of EGCG with excellent selectivity, high sensitivity, repeatability, and reproducibility. This MIP sensor provides the potential for monitoring the variation of EGCG content during the industrial processes and for predicting the quality of tea and its products. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Electrochemical determination of malachite green at graphene quantum dots–gold nanoparticles multilayers–modified glassy carbon electrode

A graphene quantum dots–gold nanoparticles–modified glassy carbon electrode was used to investigate the electrochemical behaviors of malachite green (MG). Cyclic voltammetry curves of MG at the modified electrode exhibited a pair of quasi-reversible adsorption-controlled redox peaks at 0.502 V (E _pa) and 0.446 V (E _pc) in a 0.05 mol L^?1 H₂SO₄ solution. Under the optimal conditions, by using differential pulse voltammetry as the detection method, a linear relationship was obtained between the oxidation peak current and the MG concentration in the range of 4.0 × 10^?7 to 1.0 × 10^?5 mol L^?1 with the detection limit as 1.0 × 10^?7 mol L^?1 (signal-to-noise ratio of 3). The modified electrode was applied in the determination of MG in fish samples, and the results were satisfactory with recoveries from 96.25 to 98.00 %. Furthermore, the modified electrode showed very good reproducibility and stability.     

Selective and sensitive detection of dopamine in the presence of ascorbic acid by molecular sieve/ionic liquids composite electrode

A simple, sensitive, and reliable method based on a molecular sieve/ionic liquids composite electrode has been successfully developed for selective determination of dopamine (DA). The electrochemical behavior of dopamine (DA) at the modified electrode was investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and square wave voltammetry (SWV). The influence of experimental parameters including pH of solution, amount of modifier, accumulation potential and time on the response of DA was investigated. At the optimum conditions, the peak current of DA was linear with the concentration of DA in the wide range of 5.0 × 10⁻⁸ mol L⁻¹ to 8 × 10⁻⁴ mol L⁻¹, with the correlation coefficient of 0.9982. The detection limit was 1.0 × 10⁻⁸ mol L⁻¹ (S/N = 3) in the presence of 0.2 mM ascorbic acid (AA). The interference studies showed that the modified electrode had excellent selectivity. What's more, the modified electrode also exhibited good reproducibility and stability for determination of DA, and could be applied to determine human serum samples.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Meso</Emphasis>-Tetra-(3,5-Dibromo-4-Hydroxydroxyphenyl) Porphyrin Copper (II) Self-Assembled Modified Gold Electrode Through <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">l</Emphasis>-Cysteine: The Preparation,Electrochemical Behavior and its Application

In this study, a sensor for the sensitive determination of ascorbic acid (AA) has been fabricated based on meso-tetra-(3,5-dibromo-4-hydroxydroxyphenyl) porphyrin copper (II) (T(DBHP)P-Cu) modified Au electrode through l-cysteine (l-cys). Firstly, l-cys modified Au electrode was prepared through self-assembled technology. Then T(DBHP)P-Cu was adsorbed on l-cys/Au through covalent binding. The fabrication process and electrochemical behavior of T(DBHP)P-Cu/l-cys/Au were studied by cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry. The results showed that AA exhibited good electrochemical activity at T(DBHP)P-Cu/l-cys/Au. The oxidation peak current increased linearly with AA concentration in the range of 1.00 × 10⁻³–1.02 × 10⁻⁵ mol L⁻¹ with a detection limit of 5.41 × 10⁻⁷ mol L⁻¹. Additionally, the modified electrode could be applied to the detect AA in practical samples.     

EDTA and pH‐sensitive crosslinking polymerization of acrylic acid, 2‐acrylamidoglycolic acid,and 2‐acrylamide‐2‐methyl‐1‐propanesulfonic acid

Network formation was monitored by shear storage modulus (G′) during free radical crosslinking polymerization to investigate the effects of pH and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA; a complex agent). Three types of acrylic monomers, acrylic acid (AAc), 2‐acrylamidoglycolic acid (AmGc), and 2‐acrylamido‐2‐methyl propanesulfonic acid (AmPS), were polymerized in the presence of a crosslinking agent. The ratio of crosslinking agent (methylene bis‐acrylamide; MBAAm) to monomer was varied as: 0.583 × 10^?3, 1.169 × 10^?3, 1.753 × 10^?3, and 2.338 × 10^?3. G′ of the hydrogel in crosslinking polymerizations of AAc and AmPS was effectively increased by addition of EDTA, which was not the case for the crosslinking polymerization of AmGc. The order of magnitude of G′ differed based on the acidity of monomer. The maximum values of G′ in crosslinking polymerizations of AAc, AmGc, and AmPS were ～20,000 Pa, 6000 Pa, and 400 Pa, respectively. G′ varied linearly with the molecular weight between crosslinks (M_wc). pH and EDTA‐complex affected the rate of intramolecular propagation during crosslinking polymerization. Our results indicated that G′ was primarily affected by the following factors in the order: (1) acidity of monomer, (2) M_wc, and (3) physical interactions induced by pH and EDTA. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 41026.     

Electrocatalysis and detection of nitrite on a polyaniline‐Cu nanocomposite‐modified glassy carbon electrode

A polyaniline (PANI)‐Cu nanocomposite‐modified electrode was fabricated by the electrochemical polymerization of aniline and the electrodeposition of copper under constant potentials on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE), respectively. Scanning electron microscope result shows that the PANI‐Cu composite on the surface of the GCE displays the nanofibers having an average diameter of about 80 nm with lengths varying from 1.1 to 1.2 μm. The electrode exhibits enhanced electrocatalytic behavior to the reduction of nitrite compared to the PANI‐modified GCE. The effects of applied potential, pH value of the detection solution, electropolymerization charge, temperature, and nitrite concentration on the current response of the composite‐modified GCE were investigated and discussed. Under optimal conditions, the PANI‐Cu composite‐modified GCE can be used to determine nitrite concentration in a wide linear range (n = 18) of 0.049 and 70.0 μM and a limit of detection of 0.025 μM. The sensitivity of the electrode was 0.312 μA μM^?1 cm^?2. The PANI‐Cu composite‐modified GCE had the good storage stability. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

Study on preparation and properties of PVA‐SA‐PHB‐AC composite carrier for microorganism immobilization

Polyvinyl alcohol(PVA) bead crosslinked with boric acid has been widely utilized as a microorganism immobilization carrier. However, it has some disadvantages such as drastic cell viability loss, small adsorption capacity and mass transfer limitation. To improve upon these drawbacks, a new method to prepare PVA composite pieces with the addition of activated carbon (AC) and poly‐3‐hydroxybutyrate(PHB) was explored through a combination of freezing/thawing and the boric acid method and by using Tween‐80 to improve the mass transfer performance of hydrophobic organics. m‐Cresol and pyrene were used as representative compounds with benzene ring structures to model hydrophilic and hydrophobic organics in order to test the performance of PVA pieces. The results showed that, compared with the boric acid method alone, a combination of freezing/thawing and the boric acid method led to a decrease in total organic carbon(TOC) loss from 0.315 g g^?1 to 0.033 g g^?1 and increased the oxygen uptake rate(OUR) of microorganisms from 0.03 mg L^?1·min^?1 to 0.22 mg L^?1 min^?1. The m‐cresol equilibrium adsorption amount of the PVA‐SA(sodium alginate)‐PHB‐AC piece was 2.80 times that of the PVA‐SA piece. The diffusion coefficient of pyrene in the PVA‐SA‐PHB‐AC piece increased from 0.53×10^?9 m² min^?1 to 2.30×10^?9 m² min^?1 with increasing concentrations of Tween‐80 from 1000 mg L^?1 to 5000 mg L^?1. The PVA‐SA‐PHB‐AC composite carrier demonstrated great scope for immobilizing microorganisms for practical wastewater bio‐treatment. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 39837.     

Voltammetric studies of a novel bicopper complex modified glassy carbon electrode for the simultaneous determination of dopamine and ascorbic acid

A novel modified glassy carbon electrode (GCE) with a binuclear copper complex was fabricated using a cyclic voltammetric method in phosphate buffer solution. This modified electrode shows very efficient electrocatalytic activity for anodic oxidation of both dopamine (DA) and ascorbic acid (AA) via substantial decrease in anodic overpotentials for both compounds. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) using this modified electrode show two well-resolved anodic waves for the oxidation of DA and AA in mixed solution, which makes it possible for simultaneous determination of both compounds. Linear analytical curves were obtained in the ranges 2.0–120.0 μM and 5.0–160.0 μM for DA and AA concentrations by using DPV methods, respectively. The detection limits were 1.4 × 10⁻⁶ M of DA and 2.8 × 10⁻⁶ M of AA. This electrode was used for AA and DA determinations in medicine and foodstuff samples with satisfactory results.     

Synthesis and characterization of novel aromatic polyamides derived from 2,2′‐bis(p‐phenoxyphenyl)‐4, 4′‐diaminodiphenyl ether

BACKGROUND: Wholly aromatic polyamides (aramids) are high‐performance polymeric materials with outstanding heat resistance and excellent chemical stabilities due to chain stiffness and intermolecular hydrogen bonding of amide groups. Synthesis of structurally well‐designed monomers is an effective strategy to prepare modified forms of these aramids to overcome lack of organo‐solubility and processability limitations. RESULTS: A novel class of wholly aromatic polyamides was prepared from a new diamine, namely 2,2′‐bis(p‐phenoxyphenyl)‐4,4′‐diaminodiphenyl ether (PPAPE), and two simple aromatic dicarboxylic acids. Two reference polyamides were also prepared by reacting 4,4′‐diaminodiphenyl ether with the same comonomers under similar conditions. M?_w and M?_n of the resultant polymers were 8.0 × 10⁴ and 5.5 × 10⁴ g mol^?1, respectively. Polymers resulting from PPAPE exhibited a nearly amorphous nature. These polyamides exhibited excellent organo‐solubility in a variety of polar solvents and possessed glass transition temperatures up to 200 °C. The 10% weight loss temperatures of these polymers were found to be up to 500 °C under a nitrogen atmosphere. The polymers obtained from PPAPE could be cast into transparent and flexible films from N,N‐dimethylacetamide solution. CONCLUSION: The results obtained show that the new PPAPE diamine can be considered as a good monomer to enhance the processability of its resultant aromatic polyamides while maintaining their high thermal stability. The observed characteristics of the polyamides obtained make them promising high‐performance polymeric materials. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Ionic conductivity and morphology of semi‐interpenetrating‐type polymer electrolyte entrapping poly(siloxane‐g‐allyl cyanide)

We prepared a semi‐IPN (interpenetrating network)‐type solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) using poly (ethylene glycol)dimethacrylate (PEGDMA) as a polymer matrix containing a monocomb‐type poly(siloxane‐g‐allyl cyanide) and poly(ethylene glycol)dimethylether (PEGDME) for the lithium secondary battery. The poly(siloxane‐g‐allyl cyanide)s were prepared by a hydrosilation reaction of poly (methyl hydrosiloxane) with allyl cyanide and characterized by ¹H NMR and FTIR. The semi‐IPN‐type electrolyte was prepared by thermal curing, and conductivities of samples were measured by impedance spectroscopy using an indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode. The ionic conductivity of the semi‐IPN‐polymer electrolyte was about 1.05 × 10^?5 S cm^?1 with 60 wt % of the poly(siloxane‐g‐allyl cyanide) and 6.96 × 10^?4 S cm^?1 with 50 wt % of the PEGDME and 10 wt % of the poly(siloxane‐g‐allyl cyanide) at 30°C. The SEM morphology of the cross section of the semi‐IPN‐polymer electrolyte film was changed from discontinuous network to continuous network as increasing the PEGDME content and decreasing the poly(siloxane‐g‐allyl cyanide) content. The mechanical stability was also enhanced when increasing the PEGDME content. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Synthesis and characterization of homo‐ and copolymers of 3‐(2‐cyano ethoxy)methyl‐ and 3‐[methoxy(triethylenoxy)]methyl‐3′‐methyl‐oxetane

Two oxetane‐derived monomers 3‐(2‐cyanoethoxy)methyl‐ and 3‐(methoxy(triethylenoxy)) methyl‐3′‐methyloxetane were prepared from the reaction of 3‐methyl‐3′‐hydroxymethyloxetane with acrylonitrile and triethylene glycol monomethyl ether, respectively. Their homo‐ and copolyethers were synthesized with BF₃· Et₂O/1,4‐butanediol and trifluoromethane sulfonic acid as initiator through cationic ring‐opening polymerization. The structure of the polymers was characterized by FTIR and¹H NMR. The ratio of two repeating units incorporated into the copolymers is well consistent with the feed ratio. Regarding glass transition temperature (T_g), the DSC data imply that the resulting copolymers have a lower T_g than pure poly(ethylene oxide). Moreover, the TGA measurements reveal that they possess in general a high heat decomposition temperature. The ion conductivity of a sample (P‐AN 20) is 1.07 × 10^?5 S cm^?1 at room temperature and 2.79 × 10^?4 S cm^?1 at 80 °C, thus presenting the potential to meet the practical requirement of lithium ion batteries for polymer electrolytes. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry     

Microbiocidal activity of chitosan‐N‐2‐hydroxypropyl trimethyl ammonium chloride

Chitosan‐N‐2‐hydroxypropyl trimethyl ammonium chloride (QTS) was prepared by reaction of chitosan with glycidyl trimethylammonium chloride, which was characterized by FTIR. QTS with different molecular weights (M_w 41.55 × 10⁴, 9.02 × 10⁴, 3.57 × 10⁴, and 0.17 × 10⁴) showed biocidal activity on Staphylococcua aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcua epidermidis, and Candida albicans. QTS with high molecular weight had high biocidal activity on the gram‐positive bacteria, and the biocidal effect of QTS decreased with decreasing molecular weight from 9.02 × 10⁴ to 0.17 × 10⁴. QTS with M_w 41.55 × 10⁴ exhibits slightly lower biocidal activity on Candida albicans than other QTS samples. However, no remarkable biocidal activity of QTS was found on gram‐negative bacteria Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa at the concentration up to 10 g L^?1. Existence of cationic surfactant, amphoteric surfactant, nonionic surfactant, Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ had no remarkable effect on microbiocidal activity of these QTS samples. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 103: 3851–3856, 2007