ABSTRACT
This work presents the synthesis of a novel photosensitive acrylate monomer for use as both a self-catalyst in the photoinduced electron/energy transfer-reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (PET-RAFT) polymerisation process and a photosensitiser (PS) for antibacterial applications. Hydrophilic, cationic, and antimicrobial formulations are explored to compare the antibacterial effects between charged and non-charged polymers. Covalent attachment of the catalyst to well-defined linear polymer chains has no effect on polymerisation control or singlet oxygen generation. The addition of the PS to polymers provides activity against S.â aureus for all polymer formulations, resulting in up to a 99.99999 % killing efficacy in 30â min. Antimicrobial peptide mimetic polymers previously active against P.â aeruginosa, but not S.â aureus, gain significant bactericidal activity against S.â aureus through the inclusion of PS groups, with 99.998 % killing efficiency after 30â min incubation with light. Thus, a broader spectrum of antimicrobial activity is achieved using two distinct mechanisms of bactericidal activity via the incorporation of a photosensitiser monomer into an antimicrobial polymer.
Subject(s)
Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology , Antimicrobial Peptides/pharmacology , Photosensitizing Agents/pharmacology , Polymers/pharmacology , Staphylococcus aureus/drug effects , Anti-Bacterial Agents/chemical synthesis , Anti-Bacterial Agents/chemistry , Antimicrobial Peptides/chemical synthesis , Antimicrobial Peptides/chemistry , Microbial Sensitivity Tests , Photochemical Processes , Photosensitizing Agents/chemical synthesis , Photosensitizing Agents/chemistry , Polymers/chemical synthesis , Polymers/chemistryABSTRACT
Synthetic polymers have shown promise in combating multidrug-resistant bacteria. However, the biological effects of sequence control in synthetic antimicrobial polymers are currently not well understood. As such, we investigate the antimicrobial effects of monomer distribution within linear high-order quasi-block copolymers consisting of aminoethyl, phenylethyl, and hydroxyethyl acrylamides made in a one-pot synthesis approach via photoinduced electron transfer-reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerisation (PET-RAFT). Through different combinations of monomer/polymer block order, antimicrobial and haemolytic activities are tuneable in a manner comparable to antimicrobial peptides.
