Water - Based Polyurethanes for Antibacterial Coatings: an Overview

Abstract

The spread of bacterial infections and the resulting loss of life and material have led scientists to research ways to develop knowledge in these disease-causing microorganisms. Usage of antibacterial polymer coatings is an important part of this area.  Among the polymers, water-based polyurethanes (WPU’s) have received a lot of attention in biomedical fields such as antibacterial coatings, biological products and wound dressings due to their unique properties such as reduced use of volatile organic compounds (VOC), biocompatibility, the possibility of using a variety of raw materials. In this review, the methods of creating antibacterial properties in polymers, the synthesis of WPU’s and WPU-based antibacterial coatings are reviewed. The products produced as a result of these studies have been recommended for various fields such as the dressing and packaging industries, and the coating of medical equipment.