The roadmap of antimicrobial polymeric materials in macromolecular nanotechnology

• Published in: European polymer journal Vol. 65; pp. 46 - 62
• Main Authors: Muñoz-Bonilla, Alexandra, Fernández-García, Marta
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01-04-2015
• Subjects: Antiinfectives and antibacterials; Antimicrobial; Electrospinning; Nanocomposites; Nanofibers; Nanomaterials; Nanoparticles; Nanostructure; Nanotechnology; Nanotextured surfaces; Polymeric films; Self assembly; Strategy; Antimicrobial; Nanoparticles; Self-assembly; Nanocomposites; Nanofibers; Nanotextured surfaces
• ISSN: 0014-3057; 1873-1945
• DOI: 10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2015.01.030

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•Self-assembled amphiphilic polymers exhibit superior antimicrobial activity.•Drug-loaded nanomaterials extend the blood circulation time to reach the target sites.•Antimicrobial nanocomposites are of great interest in many practical applications.•Nanotexturation of polymeric surfaces can effectively reduce bacterial adhesion.
Antimicrobial strategies combining polymer science and nanotechnology have attracted tremendous interest in the last decade because of their great potential in many applications. This feature article presents our vision for the continuous progress in this area. Then, its first part has been focused on the different methodologies used to obtain antimicrobial nanomaterials, such as self-assembly, nanoprecipitation, and electrospinning, among others. The surface nanostructuring of polymeric films and its effects on the antimicrobial behavior are briefly described in the second half.