Zinc Ion Coordinated Poly(Ionic Liquid) Antimicrobial Membranes for Wound Healing

Herein, a series of quaternary ammonium (Qa) or imidazolium (Im) cation-based poly­(ionic liquid) (PIL) membranes and their corresponding zinc ion coordinated PIL membranes were synthesized. The effects of chemical structure, including organic cations, alkyl side chain of substitution, and zinc atoms on the antimicrobial activities against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Candida albicans were investigated. The Zn-containing PIL membranes show higher antibacterial activities compared to those of pristine PIL membranes due to the synergistic attributes of both organic cations (Qa or Im) and zinc atoms. A wound healing test using methicillin-resistant S. aureus infected mouse as the model further demonstrated that zinc ion coordinated PIL membranes were antibacterially active, biologically safe, and may have potential application as an antimicrobial wound dressing in a clinical setting.