Quaternary ammonium poly(diethylaminoethyl methacrylate) possessing antimicrobial activity

Quaternary ammonium (QA) methacrylate monomers and polymers were synthesized from a N-alkylation of N,N-diethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DEAEM) monomer. Linear copolymers, and for the first time reported crosslinked nanoparticles (NPs), based QA-PDEAEM were prepared by radical polymerization of the quaternized QA-DEAEM monomers with either methyl methacrylate (MMA) or a divinyl monomer. QA-PDEAEM NPs of 50–70 nm were embedded in polyethylene vinyl acetate coating. QA-polymers with N-C8 and N-C18 alkyl chains and copolymers with methyl methacrylate were prepared at different molar ratios and examined for their antimicrobial effectiveness. These coatings exhibited strong antibacterial activity against four representative Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.