Bactericidal Gemini Surfactants

The development of novel antimicrobial agents with high selectivity toward bacterial cells over mammalian cells is urgently required to curb the widespread emergence of infectious diseases caused by pathogenic bacteria. Toward this end, we developed a set of cationic dimeric amphiphiles, bearing cleavable amide linkages between the headgroup and the hydrocarbon tail with different methylene spacers, that showed high antibacterial activity against human pathogenic bacteria Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus and low cytotoxicity to mammalian cells. We have investigated their mechanism of action on bacetria cells, and physical properties through conductometric, small angle neutron scattering, and fluorometry.