Tris-alkylated derivatives of N,N,N',N',N''-pentamethyldiethylenetriamine (PMDTA) represent a group of triscationic amphiphiles. The antimicrobial properties of biscationic amphiphiles have been studied, and show effective inhibition of bacterial growth, including that of biofilms. We wanted to examine the effect of triscationic amphiphiles on antimicrobial inhibition. The amphiphiles were synthesized by attaching alkyl chains ranging from 10 to 16 carbons to the two terminal nitrogens. The center nitrogen was alkylated with a methyl or allyl group to produce the tris-alkylated species. Antimicrobial activity was determined for each of the compounds. The initial data showed that the triscationic species possessed superior antimicrobial inhibition as compared to the biscationic species.

Synthesis and antimicrobial evaluation of triscationic amphiphiles

248th National Meeting (2014)

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