Phenylethyl Alcohol-Based Polymeric Nanogels Obtained Through Polymerization-Induced Self-Assembly Toward Achieving Broad-Spectrum Antibacterial Activity

Xie, Rui; Gao, Xinru; Liu, Ketao; Yu, Deshui; Li, Qiaoran; Yang, Guang; Bi, Feihu

doi:10.3390/gels11090690

Open AccessArticle

Phenylethyl Alcohol-Based Polymeric Nanogels Obtained Through Polymerization-Induced Self-Assembly Toward Achieving Broad-Spectrum Antibacterial Activity

by

Rui Xie

^1,†,

Xinru Gao

^1,†,

Ketao Liu

¹,

Deshui Yu

¹,

Qiaoran Li

^1,*,

Guang Yang

¹ and

Feihu Bi

^2,*

¹

Biomass Molecular Engineering Center, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China

²

School of Life Sciences, Jinggangshan University, Ji’an 343009, China

^*

Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

^†

These authors contributed equally to this work.

Gels 2025, 11(9), 690; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels11090690

Submission received: 3 July 2025 / Revised: 13 August 2025 / Accepted: 26 August 2025 / Published: 1 September 2025

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Customizing Hydrogels: A Journey from Concept to End-Use Properties)

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Abstract

The emergence of bacterial resistance has spurred an urgent need to develop effective alternatives to traditional antibiotics. Phenylethyl alcohol from plants exhibits potential antimicrobial properties, but its efficacy is limited due to its compromised dispersion in water and structural stability in ambient conditions. Herein, for the first time, a polymerization-induced self-assembly strategy was employed to obtain different morphological nanogels with phenylethyl alcohol moieties as hydrophobic cores through in situ reversible addition–fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerization. The well-defined copolymers of PTEG_x-co-PPMA_y with controllable molecular weights and narrow polydispersity were confirmed by a combination of techniques. The generated phenylethyl alcohol-based nanogels demonstrated potent antibacterial activity, particularly PTEG₃₀-co-PPMA₇₀ with a one-dimensional linear architecture, which achieved a minimum inhibitory concentration of 62 μg mL⁻¹ against E. coli. SEM revealed membrane disruption as the bactericidal mechanism, highlighting enhanced efficacy against Gram-negative bacteria due to structural differences in cell envelopes. This study establishes a robust platform for designing phenylethyl alcohol-based nanogels with controllable structures toward achieving potent antimicrobial performance, offering a promising strategy for combating bacterial resistance while addressing the dilemma of conventional antibiotic drug systems.

Keywords: polymerization-induced self-assembly; polymer nanogels; antibacterial; abiotic resistance

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MDPI and ACS Style

Xie, R.; Gao, X.; Liu, K.; Yu, D.; Li, Q.; Yang, G.; Bi, F. Phenylethyl Alcohol-Based Polymeric Nanogels Obtained Through Polymerization-Induced Self-Assembly Toward Achieving Broad-Spectrum Antibacterial Activity. Gels 2025, 11, 690. https://doi.org/10.3390/gels11090690

AMA Style

Xie R, Gao X, Liu K, Yu D, Li Q, Yang G, Bi F. Phenylethyl Alcohol-Based Polymeric Nanogels Obtained Through Polymerization-Induced Self-Assembly Toward Achieving Broad-Spectrum Antibacterial Activity. Gels. 2025; 11(9):690. https://doi.org/10.3390/gels11090690

Chicago/Turabian Style

Xie, Rui, Xinru Gao, Ketao Liu, Deshui Yu, Qiaoran Li, Guang Yang, and Feihu Bi. 2025. "Phenylethyl Alcohol-Based Polymeric Nanogels Obtained Through Polymerization-Induced Self-Assembly Toward Achieving Broad-Spectrum Antibacterial Activity" Gels 11, no. 9: 690. https://doi.org/10.3390/gels11090690

APA Style

Xie, R., Gao, X., Liu, K., Yu, D., Li, Q., Yang, G., & Bi, F. (2025). Phenylethyl Alcohol-Based Polymeric Nanogels Obtained Through Polymerization-Induced Self-Assembly Toward Achieving Broad-Spectrum Antibacterial Activity. Gels, 11(9), 690. https://doi.org/10.3390/gels11090690

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

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Phenylethyl Alcohol-Based Polymeric Nanogels Obtained Through Polymerization-Induced Self-Assembly Toward Achieving Broad-Spectrum Antibacterial Activity

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