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Graft polymerization of itaconic acid on tragacanth gum (TG) was carried out using potassium persulfate as initiator to develop smart hydrogels for drug delivery systems. The effect of the grafting parameters on the degree of grafting was investigated. The grafting was significantly influenced by the reaction medium, the reaction temperature and the monomer concentration. The monomer dependency of the system was found to be 1.52. The hydrogels were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry and X‐ray diffraction. The grafted TG had an amorphous nature and exhibited excellent swelling in water and strong dependence on the pH of the medium. The grafted TG showed pH‐dependent release of ciprofloxacin which offers the possibility of using these materials in colon‐specific drug targeting for human healthcare systems. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry

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The interest in developing antimicrobial surfaces is currently surging with the rise in global infectious disease events. Radiation-induced graft copolymerization (RIGC) is a powerful technique enabling permanent tunable and desired surface modifications imparting antimicrobial properties to polymer substrates to prevent disease transmission and provide safer biomaterials and healthcare products. This review aims to provide a broader perspective of the progress taking place in strategies for designing various antimicrobial polymeric surfaces using RIGC methods and their applications in medical devices, healthcare, textile, tissue engineering and food packing. Particularly, the use of UV, plasma, electron beam (EB) and γ-rays for biocides covalent immobilization to various polymers surfaces including nonwoven fabrics, films, nanofibers, nanocomposites, catheters, sutures, wound dressing patches and contact lenses is reviewed. The different strategies to enhance the grafted antimicrobial properties are discussed with an emphasis on the emerging approach of in-situ formation of metal nanoparticles (NPs) in radiation grafted substrates. The current applications of the polymers with antimicrobial surfaces are discussed together with their future research directions. It is expected that this review would attract attention of researchers and scientists to realize the merits of RIGC in developing timely, necessary antimicrobial materials to mitigate the fast-growing microbial activities and promote hygienic lifestyles.