Synthesis and characterization of novel antibacterial polymers and clay delivery systems and polymeric phase transfer catalysts

The research presented in this dissertation involves the syntheses of both novel antibacterial polymers and nanocomposites and polymeric phase transfer catalysts. The first section describes the synthesis, characterization, and antibacterial activities of new acrylate/methacrylate and acrylamide/methacrylamide polymers containing pendant quaternary ammonium compounds and norfloxacin. The first part of this section focuses on the syntheses and antibacterial activities of new water-soluble bis-quaternary ammonium methacrylate monomers and polymers (Chapter II). The monomers and polymers showed antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli and the activity increased as the alkyl chain length in ammonium groups increased from 4 to 6 carbons. The results are very encouraging since polymers with quaternary ammonium compounds containing short alkyl chains are generally not active against bacteria.; The second part of the first section involves the syntheses and antibacterial activities of various new monomers and polymers with amine and mono-quaternary ammonium groups on the side chain (Chapter III). The monomers were either the derivatives of 3-(acryloyloxy)-2-hydroxypropyl methacrylate (AHM) or based on acrylamide and methacrylamide derivatives. All monomers were homopolymerized and copolymerized with 2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate (HEMA). Amine monomers, their homopolymers and copolymers did not show any antibacterial activity against S. aureus and E. coli while the quaternized AHM-3-(aminomethyl) pyridine monomer, its homopolymer and copolymer with HEMA showed antibacterial activities against both bacteria. It was also found that the antibacterial activity of the quaternized methacrylamide-3-(aminomethyl) pyridine monomers and polymers increased as the alkyl chain length in ammonium groups increased. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)...