Cationic Glycopolymers with Aggregation-Induced Emission for the Killing, Imaging, and Detection of Bacteria

Abstract

Cationic glycopolymers with structures similar to those of typical poly(ionic liquid)s (PILs) were synthesized <i>via</i> the quaternization reaction of poly(4-vinyl pyridine) with halogen-functionalized d-mannose and tetraphenylethylene units. Such postpolymerization modification provided PILs with aggregation-induced emission effect as well as specific carbohydrate-protein recognition with lectins such as concanavalin A. The interactions between cationic glycopolymers and different microorganisms, including Gram-positive <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> and Gram-negative <i>Escherichia coli</i>, were used for the killing, imaging, and detection of bacteria. Besides, these sugar-containing PILs showed a relatively low hemolysis rate due to the presence of saccharide units, which may have potential application in the field of biomaterials.