Preparation of Antimicrobial Polymer

This synthetic method has two steps the first step involves synthesising the polymer and the second includes modification with active groups. Some monomers generally used to form the backbone of homopolymers or copolymers include vinyl benzyl chloride, methyl methacrylate, 2-chloroethyl vinyl ether, vinyl alcohol and maleic anhydride. The polymers are then activated by anchoring antimicrobial groups, such as phosphonium salts, ammonium salts or phenol groups, via quaternisation, chloride substitution or anhydride hydrolysis. 

Chitin is an abundant natural biopolymer and exhibits excellent antimicrobial properties. To obtain enhanced antimicrobial properties, deacetylated products of chitin—chitosan (CS) have to be synthesised, which includes the introduction of alkyl groups to the amine groups to produce quaternised N-alkyl CS derivatives, the introduction of extra quaternary ammonium grafts to CS and modification with phenolic hydroxyl moieties. 

This method involves chemical reactions to incorporate antimicrobial agents into polymeric backbones polymers such as polyamides, polyesters and polyurethanes, which have biologically active groups, are used due to their ability to hydrolyse active drugs and small harmless molecules. 

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