Zwitterionic polymeric sulfur ylides: A new generation of antifouling and bactericidal materials

Bacteria that gather into biofilms on the surfaces of implants, catheters, breathing tubes, and other medical components are a serious health hazard. In the journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition, a research team from the Netherlands has now introduced a new material based on poly(sulfur ylides) that—when applied as coating—effectively inhibits this process known as "fouling." The coating minimizes the adhesion of bacteria to surfaces and is also a bactericide while not affecting mammalian cells.