Ionic Covalent Organic Framework as Antibacterial Additive for Biobased Polymers

The rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria has created an urgent need for antibacterial materials. One of the most widespread strategies involves the covalent attachment of ionic moieties, which can, however, compromise the quality of the final polymers. Herein, we report the synthesis of ionic covalent organic framework nanoparticles via click postsynthetic modification. The material is highly dispersible and exhibits excellent antibacterial properties against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Furthermore, biobased polymer/COF nanocomposites were produced through casting/melt compression and melt electrospinning, retaining the antibacterial properties without sacrificing the thermal stability of the polymers. Ongoing studies in our laboratories are exploring the potential application of these composites in biomedical devices.