Polymeric phosphonium salts as a novel class of cationic biocides. IV. Synthesis and antibacterial activity of polymers with phosphonium salts in the main chain

Abstract

Abstract Polymers with phosphonium salts and different alkyl spacers in the main chain were prepared, and their antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli were explored by the viable cell counting method in sterile distilled water. The antibacterial activity of the polymers was found to be higher than that of the corresponding model compounds against each strain, and the effect of the molecular weight on the antibacterial activity was also observed for the compounds with the same spacer length. The antibacterial activity of the polymer samples bonded with different spacer lengths was found to increase with increasing the spacer length against both strains. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.