LAUSR

Abstract The search for new antimicrobial materials is necessary due to an increased bacterial resistance in the environment. Natural products such as cinnamon played an important role in this area. Polymeric surfaces with antimicrobial effect are an inexhaustible topic. Due to this, surfaces of polymer foils were activated by UV radiation and then grafted with cinnamaldehyde. Surface properties such as chemistry, polarity, wettability and charge of all modified samples were characterized by available techniques. Also, antimicrobial tests were realized. Samples modified with cinnamaldehyde exhibit antimicrobial effects again algae D. quadricauda and also again E. coli and S. epidermidis in comparison with control. We confirmed that the UV radiation can be used for surface activation and grafted cinnamaldehyde increases antimicrobial effect. These polymeric surfaces can be employed in the field of tissue engineering, biotechnology, biomedicine or environment protection.