Antimicrobial polymers
An antimicrobial polymer which is stable to aqueous hydrolysis contains a phenolic antimicrobial agent covalently bounded to one or more polymerized ethylenically unsaturated monomer units preferably through an imide and/or amide group.
1 . An antimicrobial polymer stable to aqueous hydrolysis containing a phenolic antimicrobial agent covalently bounded to one or more polymerized ethylenically unsaturated monomer units through an amide and/or imide group.
2 . An antimicrobial polymer according to claim 1 wherein said ethylenically unsaturated monomer unit is maleic anhydride, an alkyl half-ester and/or full acid thereof.
3 . An antimicrobial polymer according to claim 1 wherein said ethylenically unsaturated monomer unit comprises itaconic anhydride, its alkyl half-ester and/or its full acid.
4 . An antimicrobial polymer according to claim 1 wherein said ethylenically unsaturated monomer unit comprises a copolymer of at least two monomer units.
5 . An antimicrobial polymer according to claim 1 wherein said polymer is covalently bonded through an imide group.
6 . An antimicrobial polymer according to claim 1 wherein said ethylenically unsaturated monomer unit is selected from maleic anhydride or itaconic anhydride, optionally including a comonomer selected from an α-olefin, vinyl acetate, alkyl vinyl ether, α-unsaturated carboxylic acid (meth)acrylic acid or its ester, vinyl pyrrolidone, vinyl caprolactam and styrene.
7 . An antimicrobial polymer according to claim 1 wherein said phenolic antimicrobial agent is an aminophenol, an aminocresol, an amino resorcinol or an aminonapthol.
8 . An antimicrobial polymer according to claim 1 wherein said phenol is bound to the main chain of the polymer via a spacer group.
9 . An antimicrobial polymer according to claim 9 wherein said spacer group is an alkylene, oxyalkylene, or silicone.
10 . An antimicrobial polymer according to claim 1 which has the formula:
where m, n and o are present, in mole %, of 0-100; 0-50 and 0-99.5, with the proviso that at least one of m and n are present respectively;
R is H or alkyl;
A is H, alkyl, halogen or haloalkyl;
X is a single bond or a spacer group; e.g. alkylene, alkyleneoxy, silicone or alkylene carbonate;
Y is hydrogen, halogen, alkyl, thionyl, nitro or aromatic ring;
Z is an optional comonomer, alkene, vinylpyrrolidone, vinylcaprolactam, vinyl acetate, alkyl vinyl ether, styrene;
p is 1-5;
q is 1-3, and
p+q≦5.
11 . An antimicrobial polymer according to claim 10 which has the formula:
where m is 40-100; n is 0-50, and 0 is 0-50.
12 . An antimicrobial polymer according to claim 10 which has the formula:
13 . An antimicrobial polymer according to claim 10 wherein Y is a halogen and/or a nitro group.
14 . An antimicrobial polymer according to claim 10 which is the p-aminophenol derivative of isobutylene-maleic anhydride.
15 . An antimicrobial polymer according to claim 10 which is the 4-amino-2,6-dichlorophenol derivative of isobutylene-maleic anhydride copolymer.
16 . An antimicrobial polymer according to claim 10 which is the 2-amino-2,6-chloro-4-nitrophenol derivative of isobutylene-maleic anhydride copolymer.
17 . A composition including the antibacterial polymer of claim 1 .
18 . A building material product containing the antibacterial polymer of claim 1.