AG(I)-N BOND-CONTAINING COMPOUND SHOWING WIDE SPECTRA IN EFFECTIVE ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITIES - POLYMERIC SILVER(I) IMIDAZOLATE

A neutral, Ag(I)-N bonding compound, polymeric silver(I)-imidazolate [ Ag(imd)](n) (1) consisting of Ag+: imd = 1:1 (Himd = imidazole, C3H4N2 ), showed wide spectra in effective antimicrobial activities against b acteria, yeast and mold. Of particular note are the activities against a wide range of mold. This polymeric solid does not crystallize and i s sparingly soluble in all solvents. The monomeric, cationic, water-so luble Ag(I)-N bonding complex, [Ag(Himd)(2)](NO3) (2), has also shown wide spectra of effective antimicrobial activities. These activities o bserved here were significantly different from those of the recently p repared oligomeric Ag(I)-S bonding complexes; the latter have shown na rrow spectra. It is proposed that the Ag(I)-N bonding is one of the ke y factors showing the wide spectra of antimicrobial activities and the potential targets for inhibition of bacteria and yeast by these Ag(I) complexes are proteins, bat not nucleic acids. The physico-chemical p roperties of (I), in comparison with those of(2), with various measure ments (FT-IR, Laser Raman scattering spectroscopy, ESCA and solid C-13 CP-MAS NMR spectroscopies) are described. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science I nc.