Dual pH- and electro-responsive antibiotic-loaded polymeric platforms for effective bacterial detection and elimination

• Published in: Reactive & functional polymers 2022-12, Vol.181, p.105434, Article 105434
• Main Authors: Molina, Brenda G., Vasani, Roshan B., Jarvis, Karyn L., Armelin, Elaine, Voelcker, Nicolas H., Alemán, Carlos
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Conducting polymer; Drug delivery; Electrostimulation; pH sensor; Poly(acrylic acid)
• ISSN: 1381-5148
• DOI: 10.1016/j.reactfunctpolym.2022.105434

We describe a multi-tasking flexible system that is able to release a wide spectrum antibiotic (levofloxacin, LVX) under electrostimulation and act as a pH sensor for detecting bacterial infections. Combining anodic polymerization with plasma polymerization processes we engineered dual pH- and electro-responsive polymeric systems. Particularly, the manufactured devices consisted on a layer of poly(hydroxymethyl-3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PHEDOT) loaded with the LVX antibiotic and coated with a plasma polymer layer of poly(acrylic acid) (PAA). The PHEDOT acted as conductive and electro-responsive agent, while the PAA provided pH responsiveness, changing from a compact globular conformation in acid environments to an expanded open coil conformation in alkaline environments. The assembly between the PHEDOT layer and the PAA coating affected the electrochemical response of the former, becoming dependent on the pH detected by the latter. The conformational change experienced by the PAA layer as a function of the pH and the redox properties of PHEDOT were leveraged for the electrochemical detection of bacteria growth and for regulating the release of the LVX antibiotic, respectively. The effectiveness of the system as a stimulus-responsive antibiotic carrier and pH sensor was also investigated on strains of Escherichia coli and Streptococcus salivarius. [Display omitted] •A multi-tasking system to detect and fight against bacterial infections is shown.•Layers of electropolymerized PHEDOT and plasma polymerized PAA are coupled.•PAA provides pH responsiveness for detecting bacteria growth.•PHEDOT allows the controlled release of antibiotic by electrostimulation.•The effectiveness of the dual system is proved on different bacteria strains.