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Author Spotlight: Advancing Antimicrobial Resistance Research with Innovative Approaches and Synthetic Compounds
Published on: September 27, 2024
Quaternary Ammonium Salts: Insights into Synthesis and New Directions in Antibacterial Applications
Zhenyang Zhou1, Shuguang Zhou2, Xiran Zhang1
1Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Environment-Friendly Polymer Materials, School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China.
Abstract:
The overuse of antibiotics has led to the emergence of a large number of antibiotic-resistant genes in bacteria, and increasing evidence indicates that a fungicide with an antibacterial mechanism different from that of antibiotics is needed. Quaternary ammonium salts (QASs) are a biparental substance with good antibacterial properties that kills bacteria through simple electrostatic adsorption and insertion into cell membranes/altering of cell membrane permeability. Therefore, the probability of bacteria developing drug resistance is greatly reduced. In this review, we focus on the synthesis and application of single-chain QASs, double-chain QASs, heterocyclic QASs, and gemini QASs (GQASs). Some possible structure-function relationships of QASs are also summarized. As such, we hope this review will provide insight for researchers to explore more applications of QASs in the field of antimicrobials with the aim of developing systems for clinical applications.
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