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Enhancing the antibacterial activity and yields of cationic polystyrene particles via copolymerization with hydrophilic acrylate monomers

Polymer Journal volume 57, pages 553–565 (2025)Cite this article

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Abstract

Cationic polymer particles exhibit weak antibacterial activity, and the material properties that influence this activity remain unclear. In this study, we enhanced the antibacterial activity of cationic polystyrene particles by introducing acrylate comonomers through soap-free emulsion polymerization using a cationic radical initiator. Compared with polystyrene emulsions, incorporating acrylate monomers with a lower log P than that of styrene afforded higher yields of cationic polymer particle emulsions. The antibacterial activities of these emulsions against Staphylococcus epidermidis were measured. The highest antibacterial activity was obtained for the acrylate monomer, with a log P of ~1.3. Among the emulsions obtained from acrylate monomers with comparable log P values, those with a lower glass transition temperature (Tg) exhibited higher antibacterial activity. Poly(styrene-co-methylmethacrylate-co-(vinylbenzyl)trimethylammonium chloride), which has a high Tg, demonstrated antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus and suppressed the replication of nonenveloped Feline calicivirus. Skin irritation and microbial mutagenicity tests using cultured human skin models were negative. These polymer particles have potential applications as coating agents, base materials in the biomedical field, and hygiene products.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Mr. Takashi Yamazaki, Mr. Hiroki Maruyama, and Mrs. Sayuri Yamada (Kirin Holdings Co., Ltd.) for their valuable discussions.

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This study did not receive specific grants from public, commercial, or nonprofit funding agencies.

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  1. KIRIN Central Research Institute, Kirin Holdings Company Limited, 26-1 Muraoka-Higashi 2-chome, Fujisawa, Kanagawa, 251-8555, Japan

    Yuki Konoeda & Toshikazu Tsuji

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  1. Yuki Konoeda
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  2. Toshikazu Tsuji
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Yuki Konoeda: Conceptualization, Investigation, Writing - Original draft preparation; Toshikazu Tsuji: Writing - Original draft preparation, Writing - Review and Editing, Supervision, Project administration.

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Correspondence to Toshikazu Tsuji.

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Yuki Konoeda and Toshikazu Tsuji are employed by Kirin Holdings Company Ltd.

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Konoeda, Y., Tsuji, T. Enhancing the antibacterial activity and yields of cationic polystyrene particles via copolymerization with hydrophilic acrylate monomers. Polym J 57, 553–565 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41428-024-01013-5

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