Synthesis of P-aminopyridine methacrylate–methyl methacrylate (P-APM–MMA) copolymers, evaluation of copolymerization parameters, and investigation of their antimicrobial activity

Abstract

The synthesis of functional polymers is highly relevant for biomedical materials, antimicrobial coatings, and membrane technologies. While PMMA-based materials are widely used for their good mechanical properties, their biocidal activity is limited. Thus, copolymerizing MMA with nitrogen-containing functional monomers is a promising route to obtain materials that retain mechanical/thermal stability while gaining antimicrobial activity.
The aim of this study is to synthesize p-APM/MMA copolymers, determine key copolymerization parameters (r₁, r₂ and Q–e), confirm their structure by IR and ¹H NMR, and assess their mechanical, thermal, and antimicrobial properties.