Bacteria induced
infection remains a serious medical hazard to humans. Antibacterial polymeric materials, which can kill or inhibit bacteria by disrupting cell membranes, inhibiting certain
enzymes, or interfering with the transcription or synthesis of
DNA or
RNA, have been applied to reduce or inhibit microbial drug resistance. Herein,
amino acid-based
ionic liquids (ILs) and poly(
ionic liquid) (PIL) membranes were synthesized and used as antibacterial materials to treat skin
wounds infected by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The effects of chirality (D- or L-enantiomers) and chemical bonding (ionic or covalent) of the
amino acid groups attached to the IL (or PIL) on antibacterial properties were investigated. Both the ILs and PIL membranes containing D-enantiomeric
amino acid groups exhibited higher antibacterial activities compared with those containing L-enantiomeric
amino acids. In addition, the ionically-bonded PIL membranes showed higher antibacterial activities than the corresponding covalently-bonded polymeric membranes. These results indicate that both the chirality and chemical bonding type of
amino acid groups affect the antimicrobial activity of the PIL membranes. Additionally, the
amino acid-based PIL membranes accelerated the wound-healing process, alleviated local tissue
inflammation, and reduced the influence of bacteria on vital organs (liver and spleen) in MRSA-infected mouse models, demonstrating the potential applications for antimicrobial
wound dressing.