Facile one-pot synthesis of tartaric acid-doped polyindole with antibacterial and antibiofilm activities against ESKAPE pathogens†

The pathology of bacterial infections exhibits a considerable rate of mortality. Nanostructured materials have shown significant efficacy in the mitigation of bacterial infections. In this context, tartaric acid-doped polyindole (PIN–TA) was synthesized. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) were used to study the morphology of the nanostructured polymeric materials, whereas Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analyses validated the interaction of tartaric acid with polyindole (PIN–TA). This material demonstrated a notable zone of inhibition against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This finding was further corroborated by live/dead staining assays. Treatment of ESKAPE pathogens with PIN–TA elicited significant alterations in their morphology, as evidenced by SEM imaging. Furthermore, it showed the ability to inhibit the development of a biofilm by these bacterial strains, as substantiated by numerous concurrent experimental investigations. The biocompatibility of the material was confirmed by the MTT assay conducted against Wi-38 cells. Therefore, this research delineates a straightforward and cost-effective single-step methodology for the synthesis of an organic acid-doped conducting polymer, which exhibits multifaceted applications, like as an antibacterial coating on medical devices, hand gloves, surgical blades, catheters, syringes, scissors, etc.