Chapter 11 - Antimicrobial coatings based on polymeric materials

Abstract

Rapid spread of infections from potentially pathogenic microorganisms demands the inhibition of microbial colonization through novel antimicrobial approaches. The development of smart inhibition strategies is of paramount importance to retard secondary microbial metabolites on the solid surface. To this end, polymeric coatings have been widely employed to inhibit biofilm formation, as well as to mitigate the spread of infection caused by bacteria, fungi, and even viruses. The surface protection ability of polymeric coatings against microorganisms can prevent adherence by surface modifications. Evidently, two types of defense mechanisms have been developed based on polymeric antimicrobial coatings, the passive (repelling) or active (killing) materials to protect the individual intact and environmental health hazards due to microbial outbreak. The “biocidal polymers” are human friendly, microbe-resistant polymers that can be employed as functional coatings. In the past decade, significant advancement was achieved in the fabrication of polymeric antimicrobial coatings based on various polymeric materials for diverse applications in environmental protection, biomedical applications, agriculture, and food industries. This chapter discusses the recent developments in synthetic methods, and fabrication strategies of polymer-based coatings employed as antimicrobial coatings against the broad spectrum of microorganisms.