Guanidine-based polymeric microspheres with antibacterial performance
Novel polymeric microspheres could be a promising antibacterial material for application in water systems, such as coatings and polymer commodities.
Polyhexamethylene guanidine hydrochloride (PHGC) has excellent antibacterial activity, a low cytotoxicity, and wide applications. However, the high water solubility, poor compatibility, and retention have constrained its applications in materials applied in water environments.
Killing bacteria in 10 minutes
In a study, suitable tailored polymer microspheres consisting of a hydrophobic poly(styrene-co-glycidyl methacrylate) (PSGMA) block and a hydrophilic block of PHGC were prepared with the two steps of emulsifier-free copolymerisation and a ring-opening reaction. The product had a mean particle size of about 182.2 nm. The grafting efficiency of PHGC on PSGMA was affected by the reaction temperature and the PSGMA concentration. The microspheres had a non-leaching, antibacterial structure because of the chemical bond between PHGC and PSGMA. The sterilising effect of the synthesised product was slightly affected by the grafting reaction, and it was analysed by its emulsion of the minimal inhibitory concentration, which could kill 99.8% Staphylococcus aureus in 10 min.
The study is published in: Applied Polymer Science.
