Recently, a variety of antibacterial agents have been used in the fields of industry, agriculture, food processing industry and the like.
Although the greater part of the synthesized antibacterial agents previously used have been highly toxic, research has progressed towards antibacterial agents with decreased toxicity, to develop polymer type immobilized antibacterial agents that are water-insoluble and have little toxicity. These immobilized antibacterial agents can confer antibacterial activity on the surface of various materials, and thus have been used in different fields including the textile industry where, for example antibacterial agents are immobilized on the surface of antibacterial and deodorant textiles.
It is reported that in the immobilized polymer type antibacterial agents, the antibacterial agents themselves are immobilized in pendant form to polymers such as polyvinyl, polyacrylate, polymethacrylate, polyester and polyamide. For example, alkyl pyridinium salts and alkyl dimethylbenzyl ammonium salts are immobilized by polyvinyl chains, biganides by polyacrylate chains and polymethacrylate chains, and alkyl pyridinium salts by polyester chains and polyamide chains.
Most of the immobilized antibacterial agents practically used or being researched are those of quaternary ammonium salts.
Further, certain type of phosphonium salt compound are known as biologically active substances which have a broad antibacterial spectrum against bacteria, fungi and algae such as various nitrogen-containing compounds (Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos.57-204286, 63-60903, 1-93596, 2-240090, and 62-114903).
Although the quaternary ammonium salt type immobilized antibacterial agents have a broad antibacterial spectrum, they do not have sufficient antibacterial activity for short periods of exposure to affect microorganisms. Phosphonium salt compound type antibacterial agents also do not have sufficient antibacterial activity, and vinylbenzyl phosphonium salt compounds according to the present invention have not yet been disclosed.