Biodegradable Synthetic Antimicrobial with Aggregation-Induced Emissive Luminogens for Temporal Antibacterial Activity and Facile Bacteria Detection

Abstract

Aiming to address the antimicrobial resistance and environmental burdens because of the widespread indulgence in biocides, a synthetic formula of biocides with controllable antibacterial activities and biodegradable characters are encouraged for the emergence of a novel spectrum of green biocides. In this respect, a polymeric antimicrobial catiomer, with the polymeric backbone sequentially attached with the functional cationic moieties and lipophilic moieties is synthesized. The striking antibacterial potency is achieved for treatment of both amoxicillin (AMO)-resistant Gram-positive S. aureus and Gram-negative E. coli. Moreover, the anionic aggregation-induced emission (AIE) compound is strategically introduced into the aforementioned polymeric antibacterial system, consequently employed as a facile reporter for the utility of bacteria detection based on the electrostatic reaction of anionic species in the bacterial membrane with the cationic polymeric antibacterials to liberate the anionic AIE compound. Ultimately, the proposed system is determined to afford appreciable temporal antibacterial potency by virtue of the readily available cleavage of the ester linkage in the presence of lipase, thereby eliminating the possibility of the antimicrobial resistance and environmental burdens. Hence, the proposed system provided a bottom-up approach for construction of an intriguing green antibacterial molecule.