Cationic oligo-p-phenylene ethynylenes are highly effective light-activated biocides that deal broad-spectrum damage to a variety of pathogens, including bacteria. A potential problem arising in the long-term usage of these compounds is photochemical breakdown, which nullifies their biocidal activity. Recent work has shown that these molecules complex with oppositely-charged surfactants, and that the resulting complexes are protected from photodegradation. Recent studies have demonstrated the biocidal activity of an oligomer and a complex formed between it and sodium dodecyl sulfate. The complexes are able to withstand prolonged periods of irradiation, continuing to effectively kill both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, while the oligomer by itself loses its biocidal effectiveness quickly in the presence of light. In addition, damage and stress responses induced by these biocides in both E. coli and S. aureus have been observed. This work shows that complexation with surfactants is a viable method for long-term light-activated biocidal applications. Evidence suggests that the short, dim sections of the filament, such as that indicated by the red arrow in the figure below, arise from the �Z-ring� formed by FtsZ, an essential division protein that mediates septation.

Cationic oligo-<i>p</i>-phenylene ethynylenes form complexes with surfactants for long-term light-activated biocidal applications

248th National Meeting (2014)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.

Cationic oligo-p-phenylene ethynylenes form complexes with surfactants for long-term light-activated biocidal applications