New immobilized antimicrobial polyethylenimines : synthesis and properties

Abstract

Surfaces modified with immobilized N-alkyl-polyethylenimines (N-alkyl-PEls) containing various alkyl groups were synthesized and tested against various pathogenic human influenza viruses to establish structure-to-virucidal activity relationships. Various physical-chemical properties of each surface were correlated with their virucidal activities to identify key antiviral surface properties. The accessibility of N-alkyl-PEI quaternary ammonium groups to influenza virus was subsequently identified as the key determinant of antiviral efficacy, as demonstrated by FITC-lysozyme surface titration. Previously used multistep syntheses to create antimicrobial surfaces by immobilizing Nalkyl- PEls were replaced with a novel aerosol-assisted plasma deposition procedure. N,N-hexyl,methyl-polyethylenimines were directly plasma-coated onto a glass surface. The resulting material was thoroughly characterized and demonstrated to be robust, scalable, bactericidal against Escherichia cofi, and virucidal against human influenza virus. Biocompatibility and bactericidal properties of N-alkyl-PEls immobilized on Boston Keratoprosthetic implants were evaluated in vivo. Surface-attached N,N-hexyl,methylpolyethylenimines exhibited inhibitory effects on Staphylococcus aureus biofilm formation, with no toxicity or adverse reactivity detected.