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 updated 2nd Edition provides a fundamental overview of the science, material types and applications of antimicrobial polymer systems, investigating developments in the field from the last ten years. It will cover different areas of antimicrobial materials based on polymers including: chitosan, cellulose, carbon-based polymers, those containing ammonium and phosphonium groups, polymeric metal complexes, blends with antimicrobial metallic and oxide compounds, etc. With contributions from leading scientists the book is suitable for researchers in the polymer field, as well as those working in 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.