New methacrylate monomers containing pendant quaternary ammonium moieties based on 1,4-diazabicyclo-[2.2.2]-octane (DABCO) were synthesized. The DABCO group contains either a butyl or a hexyl pendant group comprising the hydrophobic segment of the monomers and one tether group to the methacrylate moiety. The monomers were homopolymerized in water by using 2,2'azobis-(2-methylpropionamide) dihydrochloride (V-50) as an initiator. The monomers and polymers were characterized by elemental analysis, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), FTIR, and C-13-NMR. The antimicrobial activities of the corresponding small molecules (bis-quaternary ammonium monocarboxylates) and polymers were investigated against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Although the small molecules did not show any antimicrobial activity, the polymers were moderately effective against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of the polymers with butyl and hexyl hydrocarbon chains against S. aureus and E. coli were found to be 250 and 62.5 mug/mL, respectively. The minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) value for the polymer with the butyl group was higher than 1 mg/mL, whereas the MBC value for the polymer with hexyl group was found to be 62.5 mug/mL. Thus, an increase of the alkyl chain length from 4 to 6 significantly increased the antimicrobial activity of the polymer. (C) 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.