Abstract
Antimicrobial polymers have attracted substantial interest due to high demands on improving the health of human beings via reducing the infection caused by various bacteria. The review presented herein focuses on rendering polysaccharides, mainly cellulosic-based materials and starch to some extent, antimicrobial via incorporating cationic polymers, guanidine-based types in particular. Extensive review on synthetic antimicrobial materials or plastic/textile has been given in the past. However, few review reports have been presented on antimicrobial polysaccharide, cellulosic-based materials, or paper packaging, especially. The current review fills the gap between synthetic materials and natural polysaccharides (cellulose, starch, and cyclodextrin) as substrates or functional additives for different applications. Among various antimicrobial polymers, particular attention in this review is paid to guanidine-based polymers and their derivatives, including copolymers, star polymer, and nanoparticles with core-shell structures. The review has also been extended to gemini surfactants and polymers. Cationic polymers with tailored structures can be incorporated into various products via surface grafting, wet-end addition, blending, or reactive extrusion, effectively addressing the dilemma of improving substrate properties and bacterial growth. Moreover, the pre-commercial trial conducted successfully for making antimicrobial paper packaging has also been addressed.
Highlights
Bacterial infection is a significant threat to human health today
AFM images show that polyhexamethylene guanidine hydrochloride (PHGH)–G can wrap onto the surface of bacteria and antimicrobial
The antimicrobial activities of polymers are governed by the balance among solubility, charge density, and hydrophobicity of said polymers
Summary
Bacterial infection is a significant threat to human health today. Fighting against harmful bacteria is a great challenge, due to the development of resistance to antibiotics. It was on concluded that combining hydrophobic block coatings on material surfaces for antimicrobial [8]. Showed that for a surface coated with hydrophobic polycations, a minimum charge inhibition density threshold be met mechanism, for effectivevarious growthcationic inhibition [13]. Antimicrobial polymers have been extensively employed in industries, but much less attention has been paid to cellulose-based paper products until recently. Less been paid to developing antimicrobial cellulose or paper products incorporated with polycations. The review presented mainly focuses on guanidine-based polymers and their rendering cellulose fibers or paper antimicrobial. Guanidine-based polymers possess some unique structures differing from conventional phosphonium-type polymers, with much higher antimicrobial efficiency and lower minimum. Guanidine-based polymers are highly water-soluble, and very applicable in fabricating cellulose-based or paper products in aqueous systems.
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