Synthesis and Application\nof Antibacterial Poly(ionic\nliquid)-Based Waterborne Polyurethanes Modified with Siloxane

Waterborne\npolyurethane (WPU) coatings have gained numerous\nattentions\nand popularity due to their outstanding structural tunability and\nenvironmental friendliness, but their applications are often limited\ndue to their susceptibility to harbor bacteria and poor water resistance.\nHerein, a group of water-resistant antibacterial WPU coatings were\ndeveloped by simultaneously incorporating imidazolium cations and\nsiloxane groups into the WPU backbone. Utilizing imidazolium cations,\nthe resulting WPU films and coatings demonstrated exceptional antibacterial\nefficacy against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, with rates exceeding 99.99%.\nThe incorporated siloxane groups are prone to migrate to the surface\nof the coatings/films due to their low surface free energy, thus significantly\npromoting the antifouling properties and hydrophobicity of the resulting\nWPU films/coatings.