Polymer antibacterial agent immobilized polyethylene films as efficient antibacterial cling films

Abstract

The antibacterial PE cling films were successfully obtained through precipitation polymerization and UV polymerization of N,N'-[(4,5-dihydroxy-1, 2-phenylene)bis(methylene)] bisacrylamide (OHABA) monomers, respectively. The inhibition rates of the PE cling films using UV polymerization method against E. coli and B. subtilis were 85.1% and 92.1% respectively, whilst the inhibition rates of the antibacterial PE cling films prepared by precipitation polymerization method against E. coli and B. subtilis were 97.7% and 91.4% respectively. The antibacterial PE cling films using precipitation polymerization method was found to have more excellent antibacterial ability than that using UV polymerization method probably due to the larger surface coverage of OHABA. The POHABA modified PE cling films have great potential in food packaging.