Benzoic Acid Ester Antibacterial Preservative for Personal Care
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional preservatives in personal care products, such as organic acids, face limitations due to odor issues, narrow pH range efficacy, and limited water solubility, making it challenging to effectively inhibit bacterial growth while maintaining product quality and consumer acceptance.
Innovation Solution
The use of benzoic acid esters with a carbon chain and a hydroxyl group, which exhibit increased water solubility and pH stability, serving as effective antibacterial agents against a broad spectrum of bacteria and fungi without the drawbacks of traditional preservatives.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional preservatives (organic acids) are used, then bacterial growth is inhibited, but water solubility is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by modifying the chemical structure of benzoic acid through esterification with diols to create benzoic acid ester derivatives. This chemical transformation fundamentally alters the solubility parameters while preserving antibacterial activity. The esterified compounds achieve superior water solubility compared to parent benzoic acid, directly resolving the contradiction between maintaining reliability (antibacterial effect) and improving quantity of substance (water solubility).
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates composite molecular structures by combining benzoic acid moieties with diol chains containing multiple hydroxyl groups. This composite approach integrates the antibacterial properties of benzoic acid with the water-solubilizing capability of polyhydroxy chains, achieving both high solubility and effective bacterial growth inhibition simultaneously.
2Reliability
If traditional preservatives (organic acids) are used, then bacterial growth is inhibited, but pH range is narrow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes parameter changes by transforming benzoic acid into its ester derivative form, which fundamentally alters the pH dependence profile. The esterified compounds maintain stable antibacterial activity across a broad pH spectrum (pH 3-9), unlike parent organic acids that are restricted to narrow acidic ranges. This parameter transformation enables the preservative to function reliably in diverse formulation conditions without being constrained by strict pH specifications.
3Reliability
If traditional preservatives (organic acids) are used, then bacterial growth is inhibited, but odor is generated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the extraction principle by removing the problematic carboxylic acid functional group (-COOH) that generates unpleasant odors, while retaining the core antibacterial benzoic acid structure. Through esterification, the acid group is converted to an ester linkage, eliminating the source of offensive odors. The resulting benzoic acid ester derivatives provide effective bacterial growth inhibition without the odor drawbacks that limit consumer acceptance of traditional organic acid preservatives.
4Quantity of substance
If concentration of organic acids is increased to improve solubility, then water solubility increases, but efficacy against microorganisms is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction through parameter changes by creating benzoic acid ester derivatives with fundamentally different solubility-efficacy relationships. Unlike parent organic acids where increased concentration is needed to improve solubility but efficacy drops, the esterified compounds achieve high water solubility through their molecular structure (ester linkage with diol chains) while maintaining potent antibacterial activity at lower concentrations. This decouples the trade-off between solubility and efficacy that plagues traditional organic acid preservatives.
Data Source
AI summary
Antibacterial compositions and methods for inhibiting bacterial growth are disclosed. The antibacterial compositions can include a carrier and an antibacterial agent including a benzoic acid ester. The benzoic acid ester can have a carbon chain having a length of two to ten. The benzoic acid ester can have a hydroxyl group on the carbon chain.