POLYMER COMPOSITIONS

摘要

Compositions of a polymer and a photosensitiser capable of catalysing the formation of singlet oxygen from triplet oxygen under the influence of visible light have photobactericidal properties and autosterile character on exposure to visible light. A method of sterilising a surface consists in exposing a surface containing such a photosensitiser to visible light. The composition may contain 0.1-1.0 % by weight of the photosensitiser. The photosensitiser may for example be a porphyrin or phthalocyanine, preferably in the unmetallated form. Salts of the meso-tetra(N-octyl-4-pyridinium)porphyrin tetracation have cytotoxic and photocytotoxic properties.