Polymer Macromolecules to Polymeric Nanostructures: Efficient Antibacterial Candidates

Microbes pose a serious threat to life among human beings due to numerous infectious diseases. Though there is significant progress in the development of effective antimicrobial drugs, many infectious diseases are still difficult to treat. Polymers render a potential antimicrobial strategy to combat pathogens and gained a considerable attention in the recent past. Polyamine compounds are familiar about their vitality in many biological processes. Conspicuously, polyethyleneimine (PEI) as a polymeric chelating agent draws advantages such as high water solubility, modulation of functional groups, reliable molecular weight and physico-chemical stabilities. As reactive amino groups are abundant, a wide range of chemically modified cations with desirable properties make PEI remarkable. PEI offers an effective antimicrobial property, thanks to the hydrophobicity and positive charge density potentiated by alkylation. N-alkyl-substituted PEI immobilized over various knitted textiles showed evidence of strong bactericidal activity against a variety of airborne bacteria. It has also been realized that the molecular weight of polyethyleneimine and the antimicrobial activity are directly proportional to each other. The structure-activity relationship (SAR) plays a compelling role in comprehending the enhanced antimicrobial activity of linear and branched PEIs. In accordance with the above details, the present chapter focuses on the synthesis, characterization and antimicrobial applications of certain polymers, polymer metal complexes and nanopolymer materials.