Patent ID: 8178484

Claim:
An anti-microbial composition comprising (i) an antimicrobial agent with surfactant properties, wherein the antimicrobial agent is a quaternary ammonium compound having the formula R 1 R 2 R 3 R 4 N + X − , wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 represent, independently a substituted or unsubstituted and/or straight chain or branched and/or interrupted or uninterrupted alkyl, aryl, alkylaryl, arylalkyl, cycloalkyl, heterocyclyl or alkenyl group or two or more of R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 together with the nitrogen atom form a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic ring, and wherein the total number of carbon atoms in the groups R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 is at least 4; wherein the substituents for the groups R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 are selected from the group consisting of alkyl, substituted alkyl, alkenyl, substituted alkenyl, heterocyclyl, substituted heterocyclyl, cycloalkyl, substituted cycloalkyl, aryl, substituted aryl, alkylaryl, substituted alkylaryl, arylalkyl, substituted arylalkyl, F, Cl, Br, I, —OR′, —NR′R″, —CF 3 , —CN, —NO 2 , —C 2 R′, —SR′, —N 3 , —C(=O)NR′R″, —NR′C(=O) R″, —C(=O)R′, —C(=O)OR′, —OC(=O)R′, —O(CR′R″) r C(=O)R′, —O(CR′R″) r NR″C(=O)R′, —O(CR′R″) r NR′SO 2 R′, —OC(=O)NR′R″, —NR′C(=O)OR″, —SO 2 R′, —SO 2 NR′R″, and —NR′SO 2 R″; wherein R′ and R″ are individually hydrogen, C 1 -C 8 alkyl, cycloalkyl, heterocyclyl, aryl, or arylalkyl, and r is an integer from 1 to 6, or R′ and R″ together form a cyclic functionality; wherein the term “substituted” as applied to alkyl, alkenyl, heterocyclyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, alkylaryl and arylalkyl refers to the substituents described above, starting with F and ending with —NR′SO 2 R″; and wherein if each R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 is an unsubstituted or uninterrupted alkyl, each of R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 is independently methyl or a C 6-12 alkyl group; and wherein X − is halide or sulphonate; (ii) a siloxane selected the group consisting of from those having the formula (H 3 C)[SiO(CH 3 ) 2 ] n Si(CH 3 ) 3 , and (H 3 C)[SiO(CH 3 )H] n Si(CH 3 ) 3 , and mixtures thereof, wherein n is from 1 to 24; and (iii) a polar solvent; wherein the ratio of molecules of (i) to molecules of (ii) is from about 100:1 to about 5:1; and (iv) at least one additional anti-microbial agent selected from the group consisting of polymeric biguanides, isothiazalones, ortho phenyl phenol, nitro bromopropanes and polymerised quaternary ammonium compounds.