CHAPTER 4: Water-Soluble Antimicrobial Polymers for Functional Cellulose Fibres and Hygiene Paper Products

In this chapter, several types of water-soluble antimicrobial polymers for functional cellulose fibres and hygiene paper products are described, including guanidine-based polymers, gemini surfactant and polymer, cyclodextrin-based polymer/antibiotics complex, ciprofloxacin-containing copolymer and their application in the papermaking industry. Currently, antimicrobial agents are highly demanded to protect human beings from being attacked by bacteria or viruses for a number of paper products such as tissues, paper towels, kitchen paper, food wrapper and bank notes. All polymers herein exhibit high water solubility, wide-spectrum antimicrobial activity and excellent inhibition efficiency and nontoxicity. Moreover, some polymers can improve the strength properties of paper products, while deactivating bacteria. The approaches for rendering the cellulose fibres and paper products antimicrobial are also convenient because these antimicrobial polymers can be used as functional wet-end additives, by grafting onto cellulose fibre, forming polyelectrolyte complexes or nanocapsules.