Biocidal Coatings against Gram-Positive Bacteria from Linear and Branched Polycations: The Decisive Role of the Diffusion Coefficients of Macromolecules

Positively charged polyelectrolytes hold significant potential as materials for creating antibacterial coatings. We examined the physicochemical and mechanical properties of macromolecules in water solutions coatings series branched polyethyleneimine (PEI) linear polydiallyldimethylammonium chloride (PDADMAC) with different molecular weights. The microbiological study was conducted to analyze biocidal activity polycation towards foodborne bacteria. While moisture saturation polycationic did not significantly depend on chemical nature groups or weight architecture macromolecules, lowering polymers resulted loss cohesive forces a dramatic stability when being washed off water. diffusion coefficient (D0) identified key parameter wash-off mechanism. Films formed by molecules D0 below 1 × 10−7 cm2/s demonstrated high resistance procedures. that PEI PDADMAC samples weights showed antimicrobial L. monocytogenes. Our results highlight importance macromolecule characteristics development new based polycations.