Novel metal-polyurethane complexes with enhanced antimicrobial activity

The silver coating of polymers has been intensively investigated in the last few decades as an effective non-resistance-inducing strategy to prevent medical device-related infections. We have developed a completely new approach to incorporate silver ions in polymers by the synthesis of a carboxylated polyurethane able to coordinate Ag+. The obtained polymers possess mechanical properties suitable for the development of medical devices, without any risk of loss of activity. To minimize the risk of increasing antibiotic resistance, the metal ion-containing polymers are loaded with ciprofloxacin, which possesses a different mechanism of antimicrobial action, thus a system able to inhibit Staphylococcus epidermidis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa growth for at least one month is developed.