LAUSR

Abstract Two silver-based coordination polymers, [Ag2(O-IPA)(H2O)]·(H3O) (CP1) and [Ag2(bpe)2(Cl)2] (CP2), were facilely synthesized from AgNO3 and 5-hydroxyisophthalic acid (HO-H2IPA)/1,1′-(1,4-phenylene-bis(methylene))-bis(pyridine-3-carboxylic acid) (1pbb3ca) and 1,2-di(4-pyridyl)ethylene (bpe) by the slow evaporation method at room temperature. These two coordination polymers exhibited excellent and long-term antibacterial properties toward Gram-negative bacteria named Escherichia coli (E. coli), in which CP1 achieved the lowest minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 5 ppm and largest inhibition zone of 11.12 mm due to its fastest Ag+ release rate and highest equilibrium concentration. These coordination polymers could destroy the membrane of the bacteria, leading to the death of cells. The stable and slow release of Ag+ ions in aqueous solutions for 5 d ensure the potentially further application in the purification of polluted water or medical purpose.