Antimicrobial Porous Surfaces Prepared by Breath Figures Approach

Abstract

Herein, efficient antimicrobial porous surfaces were prepared by breath figures approach from polymer solutions containing low content of block copolymers with high positive charge density. In brief, those block copolymers, which were used as additives, are composed of a polystyrene segment and a large antimicrobial block bearing flexible side chain with 1,3-thiazolium and 1,2,3-triazolium groups, PS54-b-PTTBM-M44, PS54-b-PTTBM-B44, having different alkyl groups, methyl or butyl, respectively. The antimicrobial block copolymers were blended with commercial polystyrene in very low proportions, from 3 to 9 wt %, and solubilized in THF. From these solutions, ordered porous films functionalized with antimicrobial cationic copolymers were fabricated, and the influence of alkylating agent and the amount of copolymer in the blend was investigated. Narrow pore size distribution was obtained for all the samples with pore diameters between 5 and 11 µm. The size of the pore decreased as the hydrophilicity of the system increased; thus, either as the content of copolymer was augmented in the blend or as the copolymers were quaternized with methyl iodide. The resulting porous polystyrene surfaces functionalized with low content of antimicrobial copolymers exhibited remarkable antibacterial efficiencies against Gram positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida parapsilosis fungi as microbial models.

Providing Antibacterial Activity to Poly(2-Hydroxy Ethyl Methacrylate) by Copolymerization with a Methacrylic Thiazolium Derivative

“…Recently, we developed a series of polycations based on polymethacrylates bearing pendant 1,3-thiazolium groups, which have demonstrated high activity against a broad spectrum of bacteria [20,21,22]. In addition, antimicrobial polymeric coatings have been prepared from these polycations by blending with hydrophobic polymers typically used in medical devices, such as polyacrylonitrile or polystyrene [23,24,25].…”

Porous Microstructured Surfaces with pH‐Triggered Antibacterial Properties

“…Porous films functionalized with the antimicrobial copolymer PS 54 ‐ b ‐PTTBM 23 were prepared by the breath figures approach using chloroform as the solvent. In previous works, cationic copolymers with permanent positive charges, such as polymers with quaternary ammonium groups, have been employed to incorporate antimicrobial properties into breath figure films . However, polar solvents such as THF, which produce poorly ordered structures, and/or polymers with low charge density are required in most cases in order to solubilize the cationic polymers.…”

“…In previous works, cationic copolymers with permanent positive charges, such as polymers with quaternary ammonium groups, have been employed to incorporate antimicrobial properties into breath figure films. [39,40] However, polar solvents such as THF, which produce poorly ordered structures, and/or polymers with low charge density are required in most cases in order to solubilize the cationic polymers. In the current work, we prepared films from a neutrally charged polymer, PS 54 -b-PTTBM 23 ; thus, typical organic solvents used in the breath figures approach can be employed.…”

Exact results for sheared polar active suspensions with variable liquid crystalline order

“…Here we imposed p to be of equal magnitude and of opposite signs at the walls. Such asymmetric polarization at the boundaries could be realized experimentally through manipulation of the surface chemistry or architecture [41][42][43][44][45] .…”