AVS 59th Annual International Symposium and Exhibition
    Biofilms and Biofouling: Marine Medical Energy Focus Topic Thursday Sessions
       Session MB+BI-ThM

Invited Paper MB+BI-ThM9
Light and Dark Biocidal Activity of Conjugated Polyelectrolytes

Thursday, November 1, 2012, 10:40 am, Room 23

Session: Biofilms and Biofouling in Medicine
Presenter: K. Schanze, University of Florida
Authors: K. Schanze, University of Florida
D.G. Whitten, University of New Mexico
T. Corbitt, University of New Mexico
E. Ji, University of New Mexico
D. Dascier, University of New Mexico
A. Parthasarathy, University of Florida
S. Goswami, University of Florida
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Cationic conjugated polyelectrolytes (CPEs) are semiconducting organic polymers that contain ionic solubilizing groups. These polymers are soluble in water and they self-assemble into colloidal nanostructures in solution and layer-by-layer films at interfaces. CPEs interact strongly with bacteria in solution and on coated interfaces, and under short wavelength visible or near UV light irradition they exhibit strong biocidal activity. Mechanistic studies using photophysics and cell live/dead assays find that the CPEs efficiently sensitize the production of singlet oxygen, and this is believed to be at least partially responsible for the light-activated biocidal activity. Structure-property studies find that specific hydrophobic CPEs exhibit strong dark biocidal activity. Studies with membrane models indicate that the dark active CPEs exhibit a strong tendency to interact with and disrupt the cell membrane structure.