A bipolar antimicrobial particle, a which precursor is an asymmetric 1:1 or 2:1:1 clay particle comprising alternating tetrahedral and octahedral sheets terminating with a tetrahedral sheet at one external surface plane and an octahedral sheet at another external surface plane, b with an antimicrobial group attached to the coordinating cation on one of the said external surface plane selected from a quaternary ammonium material comprising a single alkyl or alkenyl long chain having an average chain length greater than or equal to C 20, or a quaternary ammonium material selected from Cetylpyridinium chloride, Cetyltrimethylammonium Chloride (CTAC), Cetyltrimethylammonium Bromide (CTAB), Benzalkonium Chloride, Benzethonium chloride, cetrimide, Quaternium, polyhexamethylene BH or antimicrobial alcohols selected from phenoxy ethanol, benzyl alcohol, dichlorobenzyl alcohol, dimethyl oxazolidine, DMDM Hydantoin, 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol, diazolidinyl urea, hexachlorophene or antimicrobial phenols selected from triclosan, thymol, dichlorophenol, 2-chloro-4-fluoro phenol, tetrafluorobenzoic acid, cresol, hexylresorcinol, microlides or antimicrobial organic acids/salts selected from Benzoic acid/ sodium benzoate, Salicylic Acid/ Sodium Salicylate, Sorbic Acid/ Potassium Sorbate, sodium hydroxymethyl glycinate, cyclohexane diacetic acid monoamide, chloronicotinic acids, succinic acid, Peracetic acid or Zinc pyrithione, Ketoconazole, Octopirox ® or; combinations thereof wherein said antibacterial group is attached to coordinating cations on the external surface of the octahedral surface plane.. a which precursor is an asymmetric 1:1 or 2:1:1 clay particle comprising alternating tetrahedral and octahedral sheets terminating with a tetrahedral sheet at one external surface plane and an octahedral sheet at another external surface plane, b with an antimicrobial group attached to the coordinating cation on one of the said external surface plane selected from a quaternary ammonium material comprising a single alkyl or alkenyl long chain having an average chain length greater than or equal to C 20, or a quaternary ammonium material selected from Cetylpyridinium chloride, Cetyltrimethylammonium Chloride (CTAC), Cetyltrimethylammonium Bromide (CTAB), Benzalkonium Chloride, Benzethonium chloride, cetrimide, Quaternium, polyhexamethylene BH or antimicrobial alcohols selected from phenoxy ethanol, benzyl alcohol, dichlorobenzyl alcohol, dimethyl oxazolidine, DMDM Hydantoin, 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol, diazolidinyl urea, hexachlorophene or antimicrobial phenols selected from triclosan, thymol, dichlorophenol, 2-chloro-4-fluoro phenol, tetrafluorobenzoic acid, cresol, hexylresorcinol, microlides or antimicrobial organic acids/salts selected from Benzoic acid/ sodium benzoate, Salicylic Acid/ Sodium Salicylate, Sorbic Acid/ Potassium Sorbate, sodium hydroxymethyl glycinate, cyclohexane diacetic acid monoamide, chloronicotinic acids, succinic acid, Peracetic acid or Zinc pyrithione, Ketoconazole, Octopirox ® or; combinations thereof wherein said antibacterial group is attached to coordinating cations on the external surface of the octahedral surface plane..