Synthesis of chitosan-mimicking cationic glycopolymers by Cu(0)-LRP for efficient capture and killing of bacteria

Abstract

As glycomimetics of chitosan, cationic glycopolymers exhibit no cytotoxic effect yet similar antibacterial activity in a broader range of biologically relevant pH. Living/controlled radical polymerization has become an important route to synthesize cationic glycopolymers with precise molecular structures and defined charge densities. Herein, zerovalent copper mediated living radical polymerization (Cu(0)-LRP) of 2-aminoethyl methacrylamide hydrochloride (AEMA) using tris[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl]amine (Me₆TREN) as a ligand was successfully performed in aqueous media at 0 °C. The facile polymerization could lead to high monomer conversion in hours for in situ block copolymerization. Chitosan-mimicking glycopolymers were synthesized via the random copolymerization of AEMA with mannose-functionalized acrylates and then immobilized onto the surface of iron oxide nanoparticles. Such magnetic glyconanoparticles have shown significant bactericidal activity to simultaneously capture and kill Escherichia coli (E. coli) from water.