Tailoring Macromolecular Structure of Cationic Polymers towards Efficient Contact Active Antimicrobial Surfaces.

Rubén Tejero,Beatriz Gutiérrez,Daniel López,Alexandra Muñoz-Bonilla,José Gómez-Garcés,Fátima López-Fabal,Marta Fernández-García

doi:10.3390/polym10030241

Rubén Tejero, Beatriz Gutiérrez + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/polym10030241

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Abstract

The aim of this work is the preparation of contact active antimicrobial films by blending copolymers with quaternary ammonium salts and polyacrylonitrile as matrix material. A series of copolymers based on acrylonitrile and methacrylic monomers with quaternizable groups were designed with the purpose of investigating the influence of their chemical and structural characteristics on the antimicrobial activity of these surfaces. The biocide activity of these systems was studied against different microorganisms, such as the Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and the Gram-negative bacteria Pseudomona aeruginosa and the yeast Candida parapsilosis. The results confirmed that parameters such as flexibility and polarity of the antimicrobial polymers immobilized on the surfaces strongly affect the efficiency against microorganisms. In contrast to the behavior of copolymers in water solution, when they are tethered to the surface, the active cationic groups are less accessible and then, the mobility of the side chain is critical for a good contact with the microorganism. Blend films composed of copolymers with high positive charge density and chain mobility present up to a more than 99.999% killing efficiency against the studied microorganisms.

Highlights

Microbial adhesion and proliferation onto surfaces of medical devices or common items often leads to the spread of bacterial infections by contact, which is especially critical in hospitalized patients.According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approximately one of every25 hospitalized patients in the U.S develops a ‘healthcare-acquired’ infection [1], whereas one in 18 patients become infected in Europe, as stated by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) [2]
Contact active antimicrobial films were prepared by simple blending process incorporating cationic copolymers into polyacrylonitrile matrix, a polymeric material extensively incorporating cationic copolymers into polyacrylonitrile matrix, a polymeric material extensively used in biomedical applications
A series of cationic copolymers with high charge density was selected selected to investigate systematically the influence of the macromolecular structure on the biocidal to investigate systematically the influence of the macromolecular structure on the biocidal efficiency, efficiency, when the cationic polymers are tethered on a surface rather than in solution

Summary

Introduction

Microbial adhesion and proliferation onto surfaces of medical devices or common items often leads to the spread of bacterial infections by contact, which is especially critical in hospitalized patients.According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approximately one of every25 hospitalized patients in the U.S develops a ‘healthcare-acquired’ infection [1], whereas one in 18 patients become infected in Europe, as stated by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) [2]. Microbial adhesion and proliferation onto surfaces of medical devices or common items often leads to the spread of bacterial infections by contact, which is especially critical in hospitalized patients. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approximately one of every. 25 hospitalized patients in the U.S develops a ‘healthcare-acquired’ infection [1], whereas one in 18 patients become infected in Europe, as stated by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) [2]. The development of strategies to prevent or eliminate bacterial contamination on material surfaces is urgently required and has attained much interest over last years. Impregnating the surfaces with antimicrobial agents provides the potential to reduce bacterial contamination and limit the transmission of diseases.

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