Surfaces of Fluorinated Pyridinium Block Copolymers with Enhanced Antibacterial Activity

• Published in: Langmuir Vol. 22; no. 26; pp. 11255 - 11266
• Main Authors: Krishnan, Sitaraman, Ward, Rebekah J, Hexemer, Alexander, Sohn, Karen E, Lee, Kristen L, Angert, Esther R, Fischer, Daniel A, Kramer, Edward J, Ober, Christopher K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 19.12.2006
• Subjects: Anti-Bacterial Agents - chemistry; BACTERIA; BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; Chemistry; COPOLYMERS; Escherichia coli - growth & development; Exact sciences and technology; Fluorocarbons - chemistry; FUNGICIDES; General and physical chemistry; Hydrocarbons, Halogenated - chemistry; national synchrotron light source; ORGANIC BROMINE COMPOUNDS; ORGANIC FLUORINE COMPOUNDS; POLYSTYRENE; Polystyrenes - chemistry; POLYVINYLS; Polyvinyls - chemistry; PYRIDINE; Pyridines - chemistry; Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission - methods; Staphylococcus aureus; SURFACE PROPERTIES; Composition; Organization; Polymer; Fluorine compound; X ray; Contact angle; Hydrophily; Fine structure; Photoelectron spectrometry; Styrene polymer; Antibacterial agent; Molecular mass; Block copolymer; X ray absorption
• ISSN: 0743-7463; 1520-5827
• DOI: 10.1021/la061384v

Polystyrene-b-poly(4-vinylpyridine) copolymers were quaternized with 1-bromohexane and 6-perfluorooctyl-1-bromohexane. Surfaces prepared from these polymers were characterized by contact angle measurements, near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The fluorinated pyridinium surfaces showed enhanced antibacterial activity compared to their nonfluorinated counterparts. Even a polymer with a relatively low molecular weight pyridinium block showed high antimicrobial activity. The bactericidal effect was found to be related to the molecular composition and organization in the top 2−3 nm of the surface and increased with increasing hydrophilicity and pyridinium concentration of the surface.