Abstract

SYNTHESIS, CHARACTERIZATION AND ANTIMICROBIAL STUDIES OF BIODEGRADABLE POLYMERS AND THEIR POLYMER METAL COMPLEXES

Sicily Rilu Joseph, Reshma K. S., Anitta Antony and Jaya T. Varkey*

Abstract

The objective of the work was to synthesize and characterisebiodegradable polymers derived from Starch-Urea, Chitosan-Salicylaldehyde, to modify them by transition metals Cu(II),ZnII),Ni(II),Co(II)and to evaluate their antimicrobial activity. Starch-Urea polymer was synthesized by the poly-condensation reaction of Starch and Urea and modified using acetate salts of the metal. Chitosan-Salicylaldehyde biodegradable polymer (Schiff base) was prepared by coupling of Chitosan with Salicylaldehyde and modified using chloride salts of the metals. The synthesized polymers werecharaterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR) and UV-visible spectroscopy. Morphological studies were carried out using SEM. Biodegradability tests were done and the effect of complexation on the antimicrobial activity of Zn complexes of both polymers were also studied.

Keywords: Biodegradable polymers; Schiffbase; metalcomplexes; antimicrobial.