PURPOSE: To provide an antimicrobial agent, containing a styrenic phosphonium salt monomer or a (co)polymer prepared by (co)polymerizing the styrenic phosphonium salt monomer itself or further with other monomers as the active ingredient and having excellent antimicrobial actions.
CONSTITUTION: This antimicrobial agent contains a styrenic phosphonium salt expressed by formula I [R1 to R3 are each H, 1-18C alkyls, aryls or aralkyls (in which OH or an alkoxy can be substituted for groups other than H); X- is an anion; (n) is an integer of ≥2] as an active ingredient or a (co)polymer prepared by (co)polymerizing the styrenic phosphonium salt monomer itself or further with other copolymerizable monomers as the active ingredient. For example, 4-(2-tri-n-butylphosphonioethyl)styrene chloride is cited as the compound expressed by formula I. The compound expressed by formula I is obtained by reacting, e.g. a compound expressed by formula II with a compound expressed by formula III. This antimicrobial agent manifests a wide spectrum of antimicrobial activities against various bacteria, fungi, algae, viruses, etc.
ENDO TAKESHI
IKEDA TOMIKI
