Halal Research Center of Islamic Republic of Iran. Tel.: +98-21-88909033 Fax: +98-21-88890858 Email: jhhhm@halal.ac.ir IR.MCIG No. 85915 Human, Health and Halal Metrics 2717-1027 1 1 2020 05 01 Antimicrobial activity evaluation of a novel triblock cationic copolymer (PHEMA-b-PNIPAM-b-PVEAH) 35 41 107916 10.30502/jhhhm.2020.107916 EN Aliyeh Ghamkhari Institute of Polymeric Materials and Faculty of Polymer Engineering, Sahand University of Technology, Tabriz, Iran. 0000-0003-0154-2701 Journal Article 2019 10 22 <strong>Background and objective:</strong> Antimicrobial compounds are considerably interested because of their importance in control of biological contaminants. Several techniques have been used for fabrication of novel and efficient antimicrobial compounds. The aim of present work was to develop a durable cationic antimicrobe based on triblock copolymer.<br /> <strong>Materials and methods: </strong>Novel poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)-<em>b</em>-poly(<em>N</em>-isopropyl acrylamide)-<em>b</em>-poly (<em>N</em>-4-vinylbenzyl), <em>N</em>,<em>N-</em>diethylamine hydrochloride (briefly named PHEMA-<em>b</em>-PNIPAM-<em>b</em>-PVEAH or ABC) cationic triblock copolymer was synthesized via reversible addition fragmentation transfer (RAFT) polymerization as antimicrobial compound. Chemical structure of ABC triblock copolymer was characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared and ¹H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy. Furthermore, the antimicrobial activity of cationic triblock copolymer was examined on four micro-organisms including <em>Bacillus cereus</em>, <em>Staphylococcus aureus</em>, <em>Escherichia coli </em>and <em>Candida albicans</em>.<br /> <strong>Results and conclusion: </strong>Molecular weight of blocks in the copolymer including PHEMA, PHEMA-<em>b</em>-PNIPAM and PHEMA-<em>b</em>-PNIPAM-<em>b</em>-PVEAH was 10950, 17103 and 26165 g mol^-1, respectively. Results showed remarkable antibacterial activity so that inhibition diameter of <em>B. cereus </em>and<em> S. aureus</em> were 25, 29, 34 mm and 32, 37, 41 mm, respectively. Low inhibition was detected against <em>E. coli </em>(14, 17 and 21 mm) and the highest inhibition was observed for <em>C. albicans </em>(48, 81 and 98 mm). Acceptable antibacterial and high anti-yeast activity was observed for ABC. Therefore, it could be used in therapeutic purposes and microbial suppression. https://jhhhm.halal.ac.ir/article_107916_e3f73cb2590ba7f91da928e232804eb1.pdf