# Synthesis and Characterization of a Novel Membrane Based on Poly (2-Ethyl Oxazoline) and Poly (Propylene) Graft Copolymer for Potential Food Packaging and Medical Applications

## TL;DR

A new membrane material combining polypropylene and a water-soluble antibacterial polymer was developed for food packaging and medical uses.

## Contribution

A novel graft copolymer combining polypropylene and poly(2-ethyl oxazoline) was synthesized and tested for antibacterial and anticancer properties.

## Key findings

- The PP-polyEtOx graft copolymer showed better water vapor transmission rates than polyethylene terephthalate membranes.
- The material reduced colony counts of S. aureus and E. coli and inhibited HT-29 cancer cell viability.

## Abstract

Cost-effective olefin polymers have been producing several
hundred
million tons of olefins each year. They have material properties suitable
for packaging and biomedical applications. Among them, chlorinated
polypropylene (PP-Cl) was functionalized with poly­(2-ethyl oxazoline)
(PP-polyEtOx) to obtain a biomimetic PP-polyEtOx conjugate polymer
material. Poly­(2-ethyl oxazoline) is a water-soluble antibacterial
and anticancer polymer. The combination of this bioactive polymer
with the elastic properties of polypropylene via graft copolymerization
provided a potential active food packaging material. Here, the obtained
PP-polyEtOx graft copolymer was characterized structurally using 1H
NMR, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy
(XPS). The water vapor transmission rates of the obtained membranes
are better than those of polyethylene terephthalate membrane. Biologic
active characterization of the block copolymer was carried out in
view of the antibacterial and anticancer properties. The PP-polyEtOx
graft copolymers caused a reduction in colony counts for both S. aureus and E. coli compared to the control. The as-synthesized PP-polyEtOx graft copolymers
exhibited an inhibition of viability in HT-29 human colon adenocarcinoma
cells.