High-Efficiency Bactericidal and Biofilm Elimination Ability of the Biodegradable Alternating Sequence Main-Chain Polyselenium Salt

Bacterial drug resistance and biofilm adhesion present substantial challenges for both economic development and human health and safety. Consequently, the development of alternative antibacterial drugs has emerged as a crucial area of research. Main-chain cationic polymers exhibit notable advantages over side-chain cationic polymers in terms of their antibacterial properties, demonstrating efficacy comparable to that of antibiotics. This study presents the first synthesis of main-chain polyselenium salts and explores the impact of hydrophobic side chains, antianions, and hydrophobic structures within the polymer chain on antibacterial activity. These findings offer valuable insights into the development of antibacterial polymers. When optimized, the polyselenium salt exhibited remarkable antibacterial efficacy, with a minimum bactericidal concentration of 0.5 μg/mL while maintaining favorable biocompatibility before and after degradation. Furthermore, the polyselenium salt effectively eradicated the biofilms. The synthesized cationic polymer can undergo gradual degradation in PBS with lipase, reducing environmental contamination and minimizing adverse effects on the human body.