Issue 25, 2021

Proflavine and zinc chloride “team chemistry”: combining antibacterial agents via solid-state interaction

Abstract

Co-crystallization of the antibacterial agent proflavine (PF) with the inorganic salt ZnCl2 by mechanochemical and solution methods results in the formation of novel compounds ZnCl3(HPF) (1) and [HPF]2[ZnCl4]·H2O (2), both containing the proflavinium cation (HPF)+. Both compounds show a 50–125% enhanced antimicrobial activity with respect to a reference standard of AgNO3, and a 25–50% enhancement to the behaviour of the separate components against pathogen indicator strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli. In terms of crystal structure, both compounds ZnCl3(HPF) and [HPF]2[ZnCl4]·H2O are characterized by extensive π-stacking interactions between the proflavine moieties. The same interaction is predominant in the previously unknown crystal structures of neutral proflavine (PF), as well as in that of its dihydrated monochloride salt, [HPF]Cl·2H2O, which are also described in this paper.

Graphical abstract: Proflavine and zinc chloride “team chemistry”: combining antibacterial agents via solid-state interaction

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
07 May 2021
Accepted
20 May 2021
First published
20 May 2021

CrystEngComm, 2021,23, 4494-4499

Proflavine and zinc chloride “team chemistry”: combining antibacterial agents via solid-state interaction

C. Fiore, O. Shemchuk, F. Grepioni, R. J. Turner and D. Braga, CrystEngComm, 2021, 23, 4494 DOI: 10.1039/D1CE00612F

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements