title: The Role of Charge Density and Hydrophobicity on the Biocidal Properties of Self-Protonable Polymeric Materials.
abstract: Intrinsic antimicrobial thermoplastic A(BC)n copolymers (n = 1, 2, 4), where A was poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), BC was a random chain of methylmethacrylate (MMA), and alkyl-aminoethyl methacrylate (AAEMA), were synthesized and the antimicrobial activity and hemolyticity were evaluated on plaques obtained by casting as a function of the architecture, the N-substituent groups of the AAEMAs (methyl, ethyl, isopropyl, and tert-butyl groups) and the hydrophobic/charge density balance. Antimicrobial effectiveness and efficiency is controlled by the surface charge density and by the influence of N-alkyl groups on the surface morphology. Also interestingly, it is the absence of hemolitytic activity in all copolymers. In presence of Escherichia coli, the A(BC)2 copolymer with 40% of N-methyl groups is the most efficient, killing 91% of the bacteria already after 1.5 h.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Chimica e Biologia, Università degli Studi di Salerno, via Giovanni Paolo II, 132, Fisciano SA, I-84084, Italy.
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matrella
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Chimica e Biologia, Università degli Studi di Salerno, via Giovanni Paolo II, 132, Fisciano SA, I-84084, Italy.
authors.forename: Carmela
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vitiello
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienza ed Alta Tecnologia, Università degli Studi dell'Insubria, via Valleggio, 9, Como CO, I-22100, Italy.
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mella
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Chimica e Biologia, Università degli Studi di Salerno, via Giovanni Paolo II, 132, Fisciano SA, I-84084, Italy.|NANOMATES, Research Centre for Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology, via Giovanni Paolo II, 132, Fisciano SA, I-84084, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vigliotta
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Chimica e Biologia, Università degli Studi di Salerno, via Giovanni Paolo II, 132, Fisciano SA, I-84084, Italy. lizzo@unisa.it.|NANOMATES, Research Centre for Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology, via Giovanni Paolo II, 132, Fisciano SA, I-84084, Italy. lizzo@unisa.it.
authors.forename: Lorella
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Izzo
mesh_terms: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D011109:Polymethacrylic Acids / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D055672:Static Electricity
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D011109:Polymethacrylic Acids; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate
keywords: ATRP; antimicrobial polymers; non-hemolytic materials; self-protonable materials; star-polymers