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Antibacterial Activity of Polymers: Discussions on the Nature of Amphiphilic Balance
Author(s) -
Palermo Edmund F.,
Lienkamp Karen,
Gillies Elizabeth R.,
Ragogna Paul J.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
angewandte chemie international edition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.831
H-Index - 550
eISSN - 1521-3773
pISSN - 1433-7851
DOI - 10.1002/anie.201813810
Subject(s) - amphiphile , balance (ability) , nanotechnology , field (mathematics) , polymer , biochemical engineering , computer science , chemistry , materials science , engineering , biology , organic chemistry , mathematics , neuroscience , copolymer , pure mathematics
The purpose of this Viewpoint is to discuss the molecular design principles that guide development of synthetic antimicrobial polymers, especially those intended to mimic the structure of host defense peptides (HDPs). In particular, we focus on the principle of “amphiphilic balance” as it relates to some recently developed polyphosphoniums with somewhat atypical structure. We find that the fundamental concept of amphiphilic balance is still applicable to these new polymers, but that the method to achieve such balance is somewhat unique. We then briefly outline the future challenges and opportunities in this field.