Polysiloxane cationic biocides with imidazolium salt (ImS) groups, synthesis and antibacterial properties

Novel polysiloxanes with pendant biocidal N,N′-dialkylimidazolium salt (ImS) groups were synthesized and compared with polysiloxanes bearing conventional biocidal quaternary ammonium salt (QAS) groups. The bacteriostatic power of these polymers was tested and compared under the same conditions in aqueous solution against two common strains of Gram positive bacteria and three strains of Gram negative bacteria. These new ImS containing polymers exhibited high antibacterial potency against all bacteria studied, similar to those substituted with QAS groups. The advantage of the imidazolium substituted polysiloxane stems from its higher thermal stability, as compared with the quaternary alkylammonium functionalized polymer, as demonstrated by thermogravimetric studies.