Tuned polyalkylenimine antibacterial film apparatus and method of use thereof

A method for forming an antimicrobial film, comprising the steps of:

• providing in a solution a polyalkylenimine, first free chloride anions, and chloride counterions associated with protonated sites of said polyalkylenimine;
• removing at least seventy percent of said first free chloride anions, through evaporation, with an application of at least one of:
• (1) applied heat and (2) reduced pressure to said solution to yield a mass of residual free chloride anions;
• exchanging hydroxide anions from an anion exchange material for said residual free chloride anions to:
• (1) increase a pH of said solution and (2) reduce a concentration of both said chloride counterions and said residual free chloride anions in said solution;
• increasing a number of said protonated sites through addition of a protonated organic carboxylic acid in equilibrium with a conjugate base of said organic carboxylic acid, said step of increasing introducing new conjugate base counterions of said organic carboxylic acid to said protonated sites;
• preparing a formulation from said solution comprising greater than ten percent ethanol by mass;
• forming, from said formulation, said antimicrobial film;
• and
• inactivating greater than ninety percent of a bacteria with said antimicrobial film after a durability rubbing treatment of said antimicrobial film following United States Environmental Protection Agency protocol #01-1A, said antibacterial effectiveness resultant from a combination of said polyalkylenimine, in a mass range of 0.1 to 10 mg per square inch, and said conjugate base counterions of said organic carboxylic acid, in a mass range of 0.001 to 0.1 mg per square inch.