Nano ZnO grafted on MAA/BA/MMA copolymer: An additive for hygienic coating

Nano ZnO particles were synthesized by treating zinc oxalate with glycol and amines. The treated nano particles were in-situ grafted on methacrylic acid/butyl acrylate/methyl methacrylate via solution polymerization technique to prevent aggregation in the coating. The characterizations of grafted and treated nano ZnO particles were performed by transmission electron microscopy, atomic force spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and particle size analysis. The outcome of this surface modification and varying concentrations of nano ZnO has helped in establishing it as an antibacterial additive in hygienic coating.

► Growing global concern about the risks of microbial contamination and to overcome the problems caused by these contaminations, several types of antimicrobial coatings has been developed.
► Nano ZnO shows very good antimicrobial activity against bacteria and microbes whereas dispersion of nano ZnO is very difficult task so that effort has been taken to graft nano ZnO on the acid functional copolymer.
► The grafting of nano ZnO onto the copolymers were reduced the clustering tendency of nano ZnO and enhanced the surface area, increase in surface smoothness which imparts antimicrobial activities and successfully employed as additive against the microbes gives facile use in hygienic coatings.
► Polymeric chains with nano ZnO also improve the coatings properties such as thermal, mechanical and aesthetic. Nano ZnO increases the thermal degradation temperature and no loss in gloss of coating as well as it improves the scratch hardness, pencile hardness and wet scrub resistance.