Photodynamically active Poly(vinyl chloride) material functionalized with zinc phthalocyanine and zinc pyrithione for antibacterial and antiviral performance

Abstract

polyvinyl chloride (PVC)

zinc phthalocyanine

photodynamic antimicrobial materials

singlet oxygen

antimicrobial polymer surfaces

zinc pyrithione

Functional polymer surfaces that combine antimicrobial activity with retained processability and physicochemical stability are of growing interest for healthcare and high-contact applications. This study reports a photodynamically active poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) material functionalized with a methacrylate-modified zinc phthalocyanine photosensitizer (ZnPTC-HEMA) and zinc pyrithione (ZPT), fabricated using industrially relevant melt processing and compression molding methods. The resulting material exhibited efficient singlet oxygen generation even at low ZnPTC-HEMA loadings, with activity approaching saturation at higher concentrations. Under visible light irradiation, the modified PVC surfaces exhibited pronounced antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and achieved more than a 5-log reduction of the enveloped bacteriophage Φ6, whereas the non-enveloped phage ΦX174 remained unaffected. The addition of ZPT further broadened antibacterial efficacy, including under dark conditions. Morphological, spectroscopic, thermal, and mechanical analyses confirmed homogeneous additive incorporation, preservation of the PVC chemical structure, and retention of material integrity at low to moderate additive loadings. Migration studies further demonstrated no detectable release of ZnPTC-HEMA after prolonged aqueous exposure. These results establish phthalocyanine functionalized PVC as a scalable light responsive antimicrobial material in which photoactive functionality can be introduced without compromising key processing and performance characteristics.