Guanidine-based polymeric microspheres with a nonleaching, antibacterial performance

摘要

Polyhexamethylene guanidine hydrochloride (PHGC) has excellent antibacterial activity, a low cytotoxicity, and wide applications. However, the high water solubility, poor compatibility, and retention of PHGC have constrained its applications in materials applied in water environments. In this 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 copolymerization and a ring-opening reaction. The product had a mean particle size of about 182.2nm. The grafting efficiency of PHGC on PSGMA was affected by the reaction temperature and the PSGMA concentration. The microspheres had a nonleaching, antibacterial structure because of the chemical bond between PHGC and PSGMA. The sterilizing effect of the synthesized product was slightly affected by the grafting reaction, and it was analyzed by its emulsion of the minimal inhibitory concentration, which could kill 99.8 Staphylococcus aureus in 10min. These microspheres could be a promising antibacterial material for application in water systems, such as in coatings, polymer commodities, and medical devices. (c) 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017, 134, 44821.