Macromolecular Bioscience 2011-08-11

Oxazoline-based antimicrobial oligomers: synthesis by CROP using supercritical CO2.

Vanessa G Correia, Vasco D B Bonifácio, Vivek P Raje, Teresa Casimiro, Guilhermina Moutinho, Cláudia Lobato da Silva, Mariana G Pinho, Ana Aguiar-Ricardo

Index: Macromol. Biosci. 11(8) , 1128-37, (2011)

Full Text: HTML

Abstract

A method using supercritical CO(2) to obtain biocompatible 2-oxazoline-based oligomers quaternized with different amines is described. The synthesized oligo(2-oxazoline)s display partial carbamic-acid insertion at one end. The syntheses of quaternary oligo(2-bisoxazoline)s and linear oligoethylenimine hydrochlorides are reported. Oligo(2-methyl-2-oxazoline) and oligo(2-bisoxazoline) quaternized with N,N-dimethyldodecylamine are the most efficient biocidal agents showing fast killing rates against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Linear oligoethylenimine hydrochloride shows the lowest MIC values but higher killing times against both bacteria. Based on the antimicrobial activity studies, a cooperative action of carbamic acid with the ammonium end group is proposed.Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.