Multifunctional nucleoside-AIEgens bearing quaternary ammonium cationic for reversible response, bioimaging, and antibacterial

A multifunctional nucleoside-based AIEgens sensor (TPEPy-dU) was constructed for visual screening of Hg2+, determine the reversible response of Fe3+ and biothiols, and applied for cell imaging, and drug-free bacterial killing. The TPEPy-dU displayed 10-fold fluorescence enhancement at 540 nm of emission in response to trace Hg2+ ions with 10 nM of LOD, which can be immediately quenched by adding Fe3+ or GSH/Cys-containing sulfhydryl groups. Moreover, their bacterial staining efficiency closely correlates with their antibacterial efficacy as they demonstrated comparatively higher antibacterial activity against Gram-positive bacteria than Gram-negative bacteria. The drug-free antibacterial results involved the stating prominent surface damages at the sites of interactions between bacterial cells and TPEPy-dU that were further verified by CLSM and SEM images. It can be applied as a potential fluorescent agent to explore the related antibacterial mechanisms for treating and monitoring bacterial infections in vivo due to their nontoxic nature. Compared with conventional sensors and antibacterial therapies, these findings elevated the synthetic strategies of fluorescent probes and represented an advanced antibacterial agent wearing quaternary ammonium cationic with low resistance in clinical diagnosis.