Improvements relating to biologically active polymers

摘要

Grafted polymers, i.e. polymers obtained by modifying a substrate polymer by bonding thereto through carbon-to-carbon bonds molecules of a chemically dissimilar organic compound, are prepared in which the side chains contain groups which either kill or inhibit the growth of fungi, bacteria, insects, plants or nematodes or act as a growth promoter. Polymer substrates specified are polyamides, polyureas, polyurethanes, polyesters, polyoxymethylenes, polyethers, polyacetals, polysulphonamides, polymers of acrylic esters, vinyl halides, esters, ethers and ketones, ethylene, propylene, vinylidene chloride, allyl esters, p acrylonitrile, methacrylonitrile, butadiene, isoprene, chloroprene and dimethyl butadiene, and natural polymers such as cellulosic and proteinaceous fibres, rubber, leather, drying oil films, regenerated cellulose and cellulose acetate. The grafted side chains are preferably polymeric and may be derived from monomers such as acrylamide and mixtures thereof with methacrylamide; 4-vinyl pyridine, N-vinyl pyrrolidone and mixtures thereof with acrylic acid, glycidyl methacrylate, or maleic anhydride; allylamine, dimethylallylamine, dimethylaminostyrene, acrylic acid and mixtures thereof with vinyl undecylenate and 4-vinyl-N-nitrosophthalimide; p-allyloxystyrene, glycidyl methacrylate, p-hexylphenoxy acrylate and styrene. Alternatively a non-polymerizable substance may be grafted on to the substrate polymer, e.g. penicillic acid is grafted on to a nylon fabric (Example 27). The grafting of the unsaturated monomers on to the polymer substrates may be effected by means of chemical initiators, e.g. azodiisobutyramidine hydrochloride, ionising radiation or ultra-violet light, the monomer being used in the form of a solution in water, an organic solvent or a mixture of water and an organic solvent. The substrate polymer is preferably used in fabric or finely divided form. Biological activity may result directly from the nature of the grafted material or may be developed by means of a suitable after-treatment, e.g. quaternization, amination, iodization, formation of mercury salts, treatment with carbon disulphide to produce dithiocarbamate groups, esterification, heat-treatment to produce desirable molecular rearrangement, salt formation with penicillin, streptomycin, nicotine substituted acetic acids and gibberellic acid, and treatments with D.D.T. and toluamides. The examples describe the application of such treatments to grafted polymers in which the substrate is composed of nylon in fabric, flake and powder form and polyacrylonitrile, polyethylene terephthalate wool and cotton in fabric form. Specification 901,038 is referred to. ALSO: Grafted polymers are produced in which a substrate polymer has side chains attached thereto possessing antibiotic activity. In examples: (25) allylamine is graft polymerized on to a nylon fabric and the resulting product treated with clavasin which forms a salt with the amine graft, (26) acrylic acid is graft polymerized on to a nylon fabric and the resulting product treated with streptomycin, (27) a nylon fabric is contacted with an aqueous solution of penicillic acid and exposed to ionising radiation, and (28) vinyl pyridine is graft polymerized on to a nylon fabric and the resulting product treated first with streptomycin and then with penicillin. Specification 901,038 is referred to.