Drug-resistant infections, like nosocomial and mycobacterial infections, are predicted to reach pandemic level in coming years, with lasting healthcare, economical and societal implications. The treatment of nosocomial infections, caused by drug-resistant microbes like methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE), is often complex due to the pervasive use of antimicrobial agents in personal care products, sanitizers and hospital cleaners, where the development of cross- and co-resistance with clinically used antibiotics is a major concern. Mycobacterial infections, like Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB), are often drug-resistant due to current limitations in existing antibiotic therapies. Recently, a series of polyionenes was reported to show antimicrobial effects against a range of microbes, including Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans. However, due to a limited number of commercial substrates available for the synthesis of polyionenes, alternative sources of monomers for polyionenes are needed. One source of structural diversity in polyionenes may be accessed from plastic waste that can be repurposed into high-value, new monomer compounds. We have developed a platform of active catalysts for the chemical recycling of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET). The aminolysis of PET generates amide linkages that are prone to enzymatic degradation over time and can be repurposed after the usefulness of their lifetime. Herein, we describe the depolymerization of PET to form functional terephthalamide monomers, which serve as precursors to macromolecular antimicrobial polyionenes with high efficacy as broad spectrum therapeutic agents for nosocomial and mycobacterial infections.

Upcycling PET refuse to advanced therapeutics for the treatment of nosocomial and mycobacterial infections

2019 Spring National Meeting

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