pH-switchable bacteria detection using zwitterionic fluorescent polymer

A zwitterionic fluorescent polymer with high sensitivity to pH changes was constructed for the detection and imaging of both gram-positive and gram-negative pathogenic bacteria. A detection probe using the zwitterionic fluorescent polymer was synthesized with single boron dipyrromethane (BODIPY) as a hydrophobic dye and bromoethane as a cationic group for bacteria binding with conjugated poly(sulfobetaine methacrylate) (BOD/BE-PSM). The zwitterionic fluorescent polymer bound to bacteria through ionic complexes between anionic groups on the bacterial surface and cationic BOD/BE-PSM groups after 1 h incubation. This finding demonstrated that the fluorescence on/off system operated via changes in the hydrophilic and hydrophobic nature of the zwitterionic fluorescent polymer, depending on the pH (6.0, 7.4, or 9.0), at a fixed 1 mg/mL polymer concentration. The system showed good stability with a limit of detection of 1 mg/mL. Quenching caused by interactions with the hydrophobic BODIPY dye was also observed, enabling bacteria detection, as shown by fluorescence spectroscopy and confocal microscopy images. Our results indicated that the zwitterionic fluorescent polymer could be used to detect bacteria over a wide range of pH values.