Long term antibacterial effect cellulose film was modified with polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB)

Cellulose products such as textile, paper, package and so on are apt to breed bacterial. In this study, AA-PHMB antibacterial agent was synthesized innovatively. It was grafted onto cellulose by the addition polymerization of carbon carbon double bonds and hydroxyl groups to prepare cellulose antibacterial film with excellent performance. The structures, elements, mechanical properties and antibacterial activities of films were studied. The results showed that C N absorption at 1631 cm −1 of guanidine and the amide group absorption peak at 1554 cm −1 appeared on cellulose graft copolymers ; employing SEM-EDS, a great quantity of deposited materials, with the elements of C, O and N, were observed on the grafted cellulose. The graft percentage of cellulose-AA-PHMB was about 62%. Compared with unmodified cellulose films , the mechanical properties of PHMB-AA-cellulose film were lower, and the crystallinity of the PHMB-AA-cellulose film was lower than that of original cellulose film. The modified film as a raw material had a good inhibitory effect on Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus was proved by bacteriostatic experiments. Under the condition of continuous culture for 15 days, it still had a good bacteriostatic effect on the above strains, and therefore the cellulose-AA-PHMB films were long term antibacterial effect materials.