Photoactive Catalytically Self-Threaded 2D Polyrotaxane Network for Visible Light Activated Antimicrobial Phototherapy

Here, we adapt the catalytically self-threading polyrotaxane synthesis for the construction of two-dimensional polymeric thin films using a water–oil interfacial polymerization method. In this method, the polymerization and the rotaxane formation take place simultaneously at the interface because of the presence of catalytically active cucurbit[6]uril (CB6) that can facilitate 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction between alkyne and azide to form polytriazoles. By varying the concentration of the monomers, reaction time, and the size of the reaction vessel, it is possible to control the thickness and the lateral dimensions of the film. The as-synthesized film is free-floating, transparent, and robust enough to be transferred to any substrates. It contains photoactive porphyrin units which are quite appealing as a photosensitizer because of their capability to produce reactive oxygen species in high yield upon visible light irradiation. By taking advantage of these aforementioned features, this film was employed as a broad-spectrum photo-antimicrobial agent whose activity was switched on by light excitation against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial strains and switched off in the dark.