Preparation and antimicrobial activity of terpene-based polyurethane coatings with carbamate group-containing quaternary ammonium salts

A series of novel carbamate group-containing quaternary ammonium salts (QASs) have been synthesized, which were subsequently used as antimicrobial agent and incorporated into polyurethane coatings through crosslinking with terpene-based polyol and polyisocyanate. The chemical structures of QASs were characterized by FT-IR, 1H NMR, and 13C NMR. The effects of QASs on the properties of coatings were investigated. The results showed that the resulting coatings exhibited significant antimicrobial activity against both Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli by introducing QASs into the polyurethane networks. Furthermore, with the increasing of QAS content, the antimicrobial activity and adhesion of the coatings were enhanced, while the pencil hardness, water resistance and thermal stability of the coatings were decreased.