Chimeric Amphiphilic Disinfectants: Quaternary Ammonium/Quaternary Phosphonium Hybrid Structures.

Cationic biocides play a crucial role in the disinfection of domestic and healthcare surfaces. Due to the rise of bacterial resistance towards common cationic disinfectants like quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs), the development of novel actives is necessary for effective infection prevention and control. Toward this end, a series of 15 chimeric biscationic amphiphilic compounds, bearing both ammonium and phosphonium residues, were prepared to probe the structure and efficacy of mixed cationic ammonium-phosphonium structures.

Atom Economical QPCs: Phenyl-Free Biscationic Quaternary Phosphonium Compounds as Potent Disinfectants.

Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) are vital disinfectants for the neutralization of pathogenic bacteria in clinical, domestic, and commercial settings. After decades of dependence on QACs, the emergence of antimicrobial resistance to this class of compounds threatens the ability of existing QAC products to effectively manage rising bacterial threats. The need for new disinfectants is therefore urgent, with quaternary phosphonium compounds (QPCs) emerging as a new class of promising antimicrobials that boast significant activity against highly resistant bacteria.

Quaternary Phosphonium Compounds: An Examination of Non-Nitrogenous Cationic Amphiphiles That Evade Disinfectant Resistance.

Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) serve as mainstays in the formulation of disinfectants and antiseptics. However, an over-reliance and misuse of our limited QAC arsenal has driven the development and spread of resistance to these compounds, as well as co-resistance to common antibiotics. Extensive use of these compounds throughout the COVID-19 pandemic thus raises concern for the accelerated proliferation of antimicrobial resistance and demands for next-generation antimicrobials with divergent architectures that may evade resistance.