Electrochemical regulation of antibacterial activity using ferrocene-containing antibiotics

Abstract

The widespread use of antibiotics causes the accumulation of a large amount of antibiotics in the environment. Excessively active antibiotics in the environment results in the emergence of bacterial resistance. Building smart antibiotics capable of reversible regulation between active and inactive states on demand is a promising approach to address this issue. Herein, a ferrocene-containing quaternary ammonium compound has been developed for electrochemical redox-controlled bacterial inhibition. The reversible switch of the reduced and oxidized ferrocene groups between hydrophobic and hydrophilic states triggers the assembly and disassembly of the micelles while modulating the interactions of antibiotic molecules with the bacteria membrane, providing a new way to regulate antibacterial activity. In addition, the alternate use of reduced and oxidized antibiotics exhibits a favorable effect in preventing bacterial resistance. Thus, an unconventional strategy is offered to prevent the build-up of active bactericide in the environment and decrease bacterial resistance.