Antibacterial Polymers: A Symbol of the Maturity of the Generation of Functional Materials

The development of antibacterial polymers has been considered as one of the most important strategies to combat pathogenic microorganisms. The need to fight infectious diseases is now increasing in all public and commercial places; Therefore, the demand for antibacterial products has been created by combining an antibacterial agent in a polymer. In the polymer industry, by adding an antibacterial agent, it creates antimicrobial products that prevent the growth of bacteria and improve surface hygiene. These properties can be achieved both by adding active molecules, such as antibacterial compounds, and by coating on packaging materials. Antibacterial polymer nanocomposites have beneficial applications such as reducing the growth of pathogenic microorganisms, increasing the shelf life and maintaining the quality and safety of products. Antibacterial nanocomposites are more effective due to the higher surface-to-volume ratio as well as the higher surface reactivity of the antibacterial nanometer agents. On the other hand, due to the high volume of demand for food and agricultural products, the use of nanotechnology in the packaging sector has become doubly important