Polymeric Materials with Antimicrobial Activity: From Synthesis to Applications

Antimicrobial polymers are materials that prevent microorganism growth and are needed for many everyday applications from food packaging and water treatment to medicine and healthcare. This new book covers different areas of antimicrobial materials based on polymers including chitosan, polymers with ammonium and phosphonium groups, polymer nanofibers, carbon-based polymer Nanocomposites, polymeric and non-polymeric metal complexes, and biomimetic materials. By combining the information of different materials as well as antimicrobial action modes and applications within one source, the book provides a general summary of the field.Polymeric Materials with Antimicrobial Activity starts with a general introduction to antimicrobial polymers and presents the most common types of microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, yeast and algae) along with the main areas of application of antimicrobial polymeric materials. Specific chapters then detail different polymer systems covering the fundamental issues of synthesis, characterization, physico-chemical properties and applications.With contributions from leading scientists the book is suitable for researchers in polymers, chemistry, biology and materials science interested in an overview of antimicrobial polymeric materials as well as the recent advances in their synthesis, properties and applications.