title: Assessing the Biocidal Activity and Investigating the Mechanism of Oligo-p-phenylene-ethynylenes.
abstract: A number of oligo-p-phenylene-ethynylenes (OPEs) have exhibited excellent biocidal activity against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. Although cell death may occur in the dark, these biocidal compounds are far more effective in the light as a result of their abilities to generate cell-damaging reactive oxygen species. In this study, the interactions of four OPEs with Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus have been investigated. Compared to the OPEs with quaternary ammonium salts (Q-OPE), the OPEs with tertiary ammonium (T-OPE) effectively kill many more bacterial cells under light irradiation, presumably by severe perturbations of the bacterial cell wall and cytoplasmic membrane. According to the findings from this study, such intriguing light-induced antibacterial behavior is probably attributed to the combination of bacterial membrane disruption and the interfacial or intracellular generation of singlet oxygen or other ROS. Singlet oxygen was proved to be formed from irradiation of the OPEs, whereas the varying cell membrane perturbation abilities of OPEs enhance antibacterial activity.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry, China Academy of Engineering Physics , 64 Mianshan Road, Mianyang, Sichuan 621900, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5694-6466
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry, China Academy of Engineering Physics , 64 Mianshan Road, Mianyang, Sichuan 621900, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Liangang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhuo
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry, China Academy of Engineering Physics , 64 Mianshan Road, Mianyang, Sichuan 621900, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry, China Academy of Engineering Physics , 64 Mianshan Road, Mianyang, Sichuan 621900, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: New Energy Research Institute, School of Environment and Energy, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Centre , Guangzhou 510006, People's Republic of China.|Provincial Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Environment and Pollution Control, Guangdong Provincial Engineering and Technology Research Center for Environmental Risk Prevention and Emergency Disposal, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Centre , Guangzhou 510006, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Zhenghua
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University , Luzhou, Sichuan 646000, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry, China Academy of Engineering Physics , 64 Mianshan Road, Mianyang, Sichuan 621900, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Shunzhong
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nuclear Physics and Chemistry, China Academy of Engineering Physics , 64 Mianshan Road, Mianyang, Sichuan 621900, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Zhijun
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7830-845X
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D000480:Alkynes; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004926:Escherichia coli; D004987:Ethers; D050296:Microbial Viability; D026082:Singlet Oxygen; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus
chemical_list: D000480:Alkynes; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004987:Ethers; C436384:phenyleneethynylene; D026082:Singlet Oxygen
keywords: OPE internalization; light-activated biocide; membrane perturbation; oligo-p-phenylene-ethynylene; singlet oxygen