Silver and Copper Nanoparticle-Loaded Self-Assembled Pseudo-Peptide Thiourea-Based Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Gel with Antibacterial and Superhydrophobic Properties for Antifouling Surfaces

The escalating threat of antimicrobial resistance has become a global health crisis. Therefore, there is a rising momentum in developing biomaterials with self-sanitizing capabilities and inherent antibacterial properties. Despite their promising antimicrobial properties, metal nanoparticles (MNPs) have several disadvantages, including increased toxicity as the particle size decreases, leading to oxidative stress and DNA damage that need consideration. One solution is surface functionalization with biocompatible organic ligands, which can improve nanoparticle dispersibility, reduce aggregation, and enable targeted delivery to microbial cells. The existing research predominantly concentrates on the advancement of peptide-based hydrogels for coating materials to prevent bacterial infection, with limited exploration of developing surface coatings using organogels. Herein, we have synthesized organogel-based coatings doped with MNPs that can offer superior hydrophobicity, oleophobicity, and high stability that are not easily achievable with hydrogels. The self-assembled gels displayed distinct morphologies, as revealed by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The cross-linked matrix helps in the controlled and sustained release of MNPs at the site of bacterial infection. The synthesized self-assembled gel@MNPs exhibited excellent antibacterial properties against harmful bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus and reduced bacterial viability up to 95% within 4 h. Cytotoxicity testing against metazoan cells demonstrated that the gels doped with MNPs were nontoxic (IC50 > 100 μM) to mammalian cells. Furthermore, in this study, we coated the organogel@MNPs on cotton fabric and tested it against Gram +ve and Gram -ve bacteria. Additionally, the developed cotton fabric exhibited superhydrophobic properties and developed a barrier that limits the interaction between bacteria and the surface, making it difficult for bacteria to adhere and colonize, which holds potential as a valuable resource for self-cleaning coatings.

Design, Synthesis and Antimicrobial Evaluation of 1,3,4‐Oxadiazole/1,2,4‐Triazole‐Substituted Thiophenes

The increasing level of antimicrobial resistance in pathogenic bacteria, together with the lack of new potential drug scaffolds in the pipeline, make the problem of infectious diseases a major public health concern. Thus, in this context, a novel series of 1,3,4‐oxadiazole‐substituted thiophenes (4 a–m) and 1,2,4‐triazole (6 a–m) substituted thiophene derivatives were synthesized. Characterization of all the synthesized derivatives was done by various spectroscopic techniques such as 1H NMR, 13C NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry, and evaluated for antimicrobial activity against various pathological strains using broth dilution and disc diffusion method. In particular, compound 6 e and 4 e exhibited significant inhibitory potential with MIC ranging from 2–7 μg mL−1 against S. aureus, B. subtilis, P. aeruginosa and E. coli. Additionally, compound 6 e was found to be highly potent against methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA; MIC=2 μg mL−1). Molecular docking studies were also performed to confer the possible mode of action and association studies indicate the binding of potent active compound with DHFR enzyme (Ka=2.10×103 M−1). Further, the mechanism of action has also been explored by atomic force microscopy (AFM), which reveals the bacterial cell wall deformity and cell wall rupturing that may lead to bacteria cell death. Additionally, in silico ADME prediction study suggested the drug like properties of active compounds.