A hydrolyzable quaternary ammonium bactericide with charge-shielding-assisted detoxification

Abstract

Hydrolysable quaternary ammonium analogues (Cn-N-R) are developed, offering potent, broad-spectrum bactericidal efficacy comparable to commercially available cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB). Upon hydrolysis under physiologically relevant conditions, the generated carboxylate shields the residual cationic charge, greatly reducing cytotoxicity and addressing the safety concerns of conventional QACs for applications involving human exposure.