Polypseudorotaxane Constructed from Cationic Polymer with Cucurbit[7]uril for Controlled Antibacterial Activity

Advances in peptide/polymer antimicrobial assemblies

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been extensively exploited as promising drugs to cope with antibiotic-resistant bacteria in clinical treatment. Peptide/polymer assembly provides a particularly important contribution to this topic and has emerged as a new paradigm for the development of nano-antimicrobial systems with previously unattainable outcomes. In this review article, we systematically summarize the recent advances in antimicrobial peptide/polymer assemblies. We describe a brief background and several classified systems based on peptide/polymer assemblies. We discuss the molecular design and the general rules behind the assembled nanostructures and bioactivities. The key role of polymers in improving the antimicrobial activity, stability, cytotoxicity, and bioavailability of peptides is emphasized based on the reported systems. The resulting peptide/polymer assemblies with stimuli-responsiveness, value-added properties and potential applications are demonstrated. The outlook of the antimicrobial peptide/polymer assemblies is also presented from the viewpoint of bio-applications.

The role of macrocycles in supramolecular assembly with polymers

Recently, supramolecular self-assembly has attracted the attention of researchers worldwide because it enables the creation of nanostructures with unique properties without additional costs. Spontaneous organization of molecules allows the design and development of new nanostructures that can interact with drugs and living cells and generate a response. Therefore, supramolecular structures have enormous potential and can be in demand in various fields of healthcare and ecology. One of the widely used building blocks of such supramolecular assemblies is polymers. This review examines the joint aggregation behavior of various macrocycles (cyclodextrins, calixarenes, cucurbiturils, porphyrins, and pillararenes) with polymers, the functional properties of these supramolecular systems and their potential applications.

Pyrgos[n]cages: Redefining antibacterial strategy against drug resistance

Amid rising antibiotic resistance, the quest for advanced antibacterial agents to surpass microbial adaptation is paramount. This study introduces Pyrgos[n]cages (n = 1 to 4), pioneering multidecker cationic covalent organic cages engineered to combat drug-resistant bacteria via a dual-targeting approach. Synthesized through successive photocatalytic bromination and cage-forming reactions, these architectures stand out for their dense positive charge distribution, exceptional stability, and substantial rigidity. Pyrgos[n]cages exhibit potent bactericidal activity by disrupting bacterial membrane potential and binding to DNA. Notably, these structures show unparalleled success in eradicating both extracellular and intracellular drug-resistant pathogens in diverse infection scenarios, with antibacterial efficiency markedly increasing over 100-fold as the decker number rises from 1 to 3. This study provides an advance in antibacterial tactics and underscores the transformative potential of covalent organic cages in devising enduring countermeasures against antibiotic-resistant microbial threats.

Supramolecularly assisted chlorhexidine-bacterial membrane interaction with enhanced antibacterial activity and reduced side effects

Bacterial infection has emerged as a grievous threat to public health, and lots of antibacterial agents were developed to solve this issue. However, enhancing the antibacterial activity of antibacterial agents while reducing their side effects remains a challenge. Herein, a supramolecular antibacterial agent based on the host-guest interaction between cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]) and chlorhexidine (CHX) was designed. CHX can be encapsulated in the cavity of CB[7] to form a 1:3 host-guest complex (CHX-3CB[7]). It was amazingly found that this supramolecular complex could display higher antibacterial activity than CHX alone. Electrospray mass spectrometry and UV-vis spectra revealed that the introduction of CB[7] promoted the protonation of N-atoms on CHX, resulting in stronger ion interaction with phospholipids and thus enhancing the destruction of the bacterial membrane. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), surface ζ-potentials and outer/inner membrane integrity assays also reveal that the introduction of CB[7] aggravates the rupture of membrane. What is more, the cytotoxicity and irritation of CHX were decreased by forming the host-guest complex with CB[7]. This work provides a paradigm for enhancing antibacterial activity and reducing side effects of drugs through supramolecular chemistry.

Stimuli-responsive mechanically interlocked molecules constructed from cucurbit[n]uril homologues and derivatives

Cucurbit[n]uril supramolecular chemistry has developed rapidly since 2001 when different cucurbit[n]uril homologues (Q[n]) were successfully separated in pure form. The combination of Q[n] cavity size and various types of external stimuli has given birth to numerous types of Q[n]-based mechanically interlocked molecules (MIMs), including (pseudo)rotaxanes, catenanes, dendrimers and poly(pseudo)rotaxanes. In this review article, the important advances in the field of Q[n]-based MIMs over the past two decades are highlighted. This review also describes examples of heterowheel (pseudo)rotaxanes and poly(pseudo)rotaxanes involving Q[n]s, and reflects on the opportunities and challenges of constructing Q[n]-based stimuli-responsive MIMs.

Peptide hydrogel based sponge patch for wound infection treatment

Dressing with the function of anti-wound infection and promoting skin repair plays an important role in medicine, beauty industry, etc. In terms of anti-wound infection, traditional dressings, such as gauze, have problems such as excessive bleeding in the process of contact or removal, and slow wound healing due to poor biological compatibility. The development of new functional and biocompatible dressings has essential application value in biomedical fields. In this study, a new type of dressing based on polypeptide functional sponge patch was constructed. The porous sponge patch is made of antimicrobial peptide and medical agarose through gel and freeze-drying technology. In vitro antibacterial experiments and small animal skin wound infection model experiments show that the porous sponge has excellent antibacterial and anti-skin infection activities, as well as the function of promoting wound healing.

Multicharged cyclodextrin supramolecular assemblies

Multicharged cyclodextrin (CD) supramolecular assemblies, including those based on positively/negatively charged modified mono-6-deoxy-CDs, per-6-deoxy-CDs, and random 2,3,6-deoxy-CDs, as well as parent CDs binding positively/negatively charged guests, have been extensively applied in chemistry, materials science, medicine, biological science, catalysis, and other fields. In this review, we primarily focus on summarizing the recent advances in positively/negatively charged CDs and parent CDs encapsulating positively/negatively charged guests, especially the construction process of supramolecular assemblies and their applications. Compared with uncharged CDs, multicharged CDs display remarkably high antiviral and antibacterial activity as well as efficient protein fibrosis inhibition. Meanwhile, charged CDs can interact with oppositely charged dyes, drugs, polymers, and biomacromolecules to achieve effective encapsulation and aggregation. Consequently, multicharged CD supramolecular assemblies show great advantages in improving drug-delivery efficiency, the luminescence properties of materials, molecular recognition and imaging, and the toughness of supramolecular hydrogels, in addition to enabling the construction of multistimuli-responsive assemblies. These features are anticipated to not only promote the development of CD-based supramolecular chemistry but also contribute to the rapid exploitation of these assemblies in diverse interdisciplinary applications.

Multicharged Supramolecular Assembly Mediated by Polycationic Cyclodextrin for Efficiently Photodynamic Antibacteria

Supramolecular antimicrobial materials based on synthetic macrocycles have recently aroused enormous interests due to their controllable and effective antibacterial treatment. Herein, a multicharged supramolecular assembly was fabricated employing the moderate host-guest interaction between hexa-adamantane-appended ruthenium polypyridyl (Ru2) and polycationic cyclodextrin (CD-QAS) in water. The positively multicharged feature of supramolecular assembly could remarkably enhance the specific intercalation and accumulation in negatively charged bacteria membrane leading to the physical membrane damage. Subsequently, the assembly could efficiently initiate the significant generation of singlet oxygen (¹O₂) in situ when irradiated with white light thus exhibiting a highly efficient antibacterial capability. Significantly, antibacterial experiments indicated that Ru2/CD-QAS displayed less effect on suppressing the growth of E. coli only about 25% in the absence of light while they exhibited excellent killing efficiency more than 99% toward E. coli under light irradiation. This work provides a simple approach for constructing supramolecular antimicrobial materials for synergistic photodynamic antibacteria.

A cucurbit[7]uril-based supramolecular fluorescent probe for the detection of metronidazole with high sensitivity and strong anti-interference capacity

We propose a new method for the selective detection of the antibiotic metronidazole (MNZ) using CB[7]-JAT (cucurbit[7]uril = CB[7] and JAT = jatrorrhizine) as a fluorescent probe, which is based on the competitive reaction between MNZ and JAT for the occupancy of the CB[7] cavity. The proposed method gives a good calibration curve in the concentration range of 0.38–60 μM, and the limit of detection for MNZ is 65 ng mL−1 with those obtained by the standard curve method. Moreover, the proposed method was successfully applied for the determination of MNZ in liquid milk. Most importantly, due to the high binding affinity between CB[7] and MNZ, the proposed method shows great anti-interference capacity to accurately detect MNZ in the presence of other antibiotics.

Supramolecular Modulation of Antibacterial Activity of Ambroxol by Cucurbit[7]uril

Supramolecular encapsulation by cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]) was recently demonstrated to provide a simple and efficient method for antibacterial activity regulation of antibiotics. In this work, CB[7] was shown to form binary host-guest complex with ambroxol hydrochloride (ABX), a clinical mucokinetic and expectorant drug, which was reported to exhibit certain antibacterial activity. ¹ H NMR titration and isothermal titration calorimetry experiment results suggested that the 4-hydroxyl cyclohexylamine group of ABX was included inside the CB[7] cavity, with a binding constant K_a of (6.69±0.11)×10⁵  M^-1 in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) solution, thermodynamically driven by both enthalpy change (ΔH=-12.2 kJ/mol) and entropy change (TΔS=21.1 kJ/mol). More importantly, ABX's inhibitory activity (MIC₅₀ ) against bacillary strains towards Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli strains was decreased from (5.11±0.31)×10^-6  M^-1 and (2.63±0.34)×10^-5  M^-1 to zero upon encapsulation by CB[7], and was subsequently recovered to almost its original activity when a competitive guest, amantadine hydrochloride, for disassembling CB[7]-ABX complex, was added, suggesting that the antibacterial activity of ABX could be readily "turned off/on" upon its complexation and decomplexation with CB[7].

Cucurbituril-Oriented Nanoplatforms in Biomedical Applications

Cucucrbituril (CB) belongs to a family of macrocycles that are easily accessible. Their structural specificity provides excellent molecular recognition capabilities, with the ability to be readily chemically modified. Because of these properties, researchers have found CB to be a useful molecular carrier for delivering drug molecules and therapeutic biomolecules. Their significance lies in the fact that CB not only increases the solubility and stability of an encapsulated guest but also provides the possibility to achieve targeted delivery of the guest molecule. Therefore, the emergence of CB undoubtedly provides opportunities for the development of targeted drug delivery in an era where intelligent drugs have attracted considerable attention. It has also been found that CB can enhance fluorescent dyes, allowing the preparation of biosensors with enhanced sensitivity for use in clinical settings. In the present review, the acquisition, properties, and structural modifications of CB are first comprehensively described, and then the value of this macrocycle in applications within the medical field is discussed. In addition, we have also summarized patent applications of CB in this field over recent years, aiming to illustrate the current status of developments of this molecule. Finally, we discuss the challenges faced by CB in the medical field and future trends in its development.

One-pot preparation of a multi-functional enzymatically generated gelatin hydrogel with controllable antibacterial and hemorheological properties

The creation of multi-functional bio-hydrogels with tunable properties that meet in vivo demands is significant but remains challenging. Inspired by host-guest chemistry, a novel multi-functional gelatin-based bio-hydrogel with tunable antibacterial and hemorheological properties (TAH-GEL) is synthesized via an in situ one-pot strategy. TAH-GEL not only exhibits excellent mechanical properties but also shows promising self-healing and bio-compatibility features. For the first time, this biomaterial presents controllable antibacterial and hemorheological properties by controlling the TAH-GEL polypseudorotaxane motif. The resulting bio-hydrogel is easy to prepare and delivers superior performance, making it a powerful tool for bio-applications, such as hemostatic materials.

Self-assembling morphology-tunable single-component supramolecular antibiotics for enhanced antibacterial manipulation

This single-component supramolecular antibiotic can undergo reversible self-assembling morphology transitions under sequential ultrasonic and redox stimuli. The self-assemblies with different morphologies display effective antibacterial regulation.

Role of Cholesterol Conjugation in the Antibacterial Photodynamic Therapy of Branched Polyethylenimine-Containing Nanoagents

Photodynamic therapy is a promising approach for fighting bacterial infections because it can induce few side effects, develop no drug resistance, and realize precise treatment. However, most photosensitizers (PSs) have the disadvantages of poor water-solubility, severe self-quenching, and potential toxicity. Here, the cationic polymer polyethyleneimine (PEI) was used to prepare a cholesterol- and chlorin e6 (Ce6, a common PS)-conjugated compound via the carboxyl-amine reaction or the acyl chloride-amine reaction (abbreviated as Chol-PEI-Ce6). The as-prepared Chol-PEI-Ce6 molecules can self-assemble into close-to-spherical nanoparticles (NPs) with an average diameter of ∼15 nm and can bind to the bacterial surfaces via the synergistic hydrophobic insertion of the cholesterol moieties and electrostatic interaction between the cationic amine groups of PEI and the bacterial surfaces. Upon light irradiation, the NPs can effectively inactivate both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Besides, the interaction between Chol-PEI-Ce6 NPs and bacteria markedly enhances the production of intracellular reactive oxygen species after light irradiation, which may account for the excellent antibacterial performance of the NPs. More importantly, the NPs possess negligible dark cytotoxicity and good hemocompatibility. Therefore, the present work may have strong implications for developing novel antibacterial agents to fight against bacterial infections.

Aggregation-induced emission-based ionic liquids for bacterial killing, imaging, cell labeling, and bacterial detection in blood cells

A series of aggregation-induced emission (AIE)-based imidazolium-type ionic liquids (ILs) were designed and synthesized for bacterial killing and imaging, cell labeling, and bacterial detection in blood cells. The AIE-based ILs showed antibacterial activities against both Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The carbon chain length of substitution at the N3 position of the imidazolium cations highly affects the antibacterial properties of ILs. Owing to their AIE characteristics, the ILs could selectively capture fluorescence image of dead bacteria while killing the bacteria. The fluorescence intensity varied with the concentration of bacteria, indicating that AIE-based ILs has potential as an antibacterial material and an efficient probe for bacterial viability assay. In addition, the synthesized AIE-based ILs exhibit relatively low cytotoxicity and hemolysis rate and therefore potential for cell labeling, as well as bacterial detection in blood cells. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Bacteria are ubiquitous, especially the pathogenic bacteria, which pose a serious threat to human health. There is an urgent need for materials with efficient antibacterial properties and biocompatibility and without causing drug resistance. In this work, we synthesized a series of aggregation-induced emission (AIE)-doped imidazolium type ionic liquids (ILs) with multifunction potential of bacterial killing and imaging, cell labeling, and detection of bacteria from blood cells. The synthesized AIE-based ILs can image dead bacteria at the same time of killing these bacteria, which can avoid the fluorescent dyeing process. Simultaneously, the fluorescent imaging of dead bacteria can be distinguished by the naked eye, and the fluorescence intensity from the AIE-based ILs varied with the concentration of bacteria. In addition, the AIE-based ILs exhibit relatively low cytotoxicity and hemolysis rate and therefore potential for cell labeling as well as detection of bacteria from red blood cell suspension.

Host defense peptide mimicking poly-β-peptides with fast, potent and broad spectrum antibacterial activities

Microbial infections have always been serious challenges to human health considering that antibiotics almost inevitably induce microbial resistance. Therefore, it is urgent to develop a new antibacterial agent that is active against drug-resistant bacteria and is less susceptible to microbial resistance. In this work, a series of host defense peptide (HDP) mimicking antibacterial poly-β-peptides were synthesized, characterized and evaluated for their biological activities. The best poly-β-peptide within this study (20 : 80 Bu : DM) displays potent and broad spectrum antibacterial activity against antibiotic-resistant super bugs and low toxicity toward mammalian cells. Moreover, these poly-β-peptides are bactericidal and kill bacteria very fast within 5 min. An antimicrobial resistance test demonstrated that bacteria develop no resistance toward the selected poly-β-peptides even over 1000 generations. Our studies demonstrate that random copolymers of heterochiral poly-β-peptides, without the need for defined secondary structures, can mimic the antimicrobial HDP. These results imply the potential application of these poly-β-peptides as new antimicrobial agents to tackle drug resistant antimicrobial infections.

A Sample Preparation Technique Using Biocompatible Composites for Biomedical Applications

Infectious diseases, especially pathogenic infections, are a growing threat to public health worldwide. Since pathogenic bacteria usually exist in complex matrices at very low concentrations, the development of technology for rapid, convenient, and biocompatible sample enrichment is essential for sensitive diagnostics. In this study, a cucurbit[6]uril (CB) supermolecular decorated amine-functionalized diatom (DA) composite was fabricated to support efficient sample enrichment and in situ nucleic acid preparation from enriched pathogens and cells. CB was introduced to enhance the rate and effectiveness of pathogen absorption using the CB-DA composite. This novel CB-DA composite achieved a capture efficiency of approximately 90% at an Escherichia coli concentration of 10⁶ CFU/mL within 3 min. Real-time PCR analyses of DNA samples recovered using the CB-DA enrichment system showed a four-fold increase in the early amplification signal strength, and this effective method for capturing nucleic acid might be useful for preparing samples for diagnostic systems.

Topological Aspects of the Design of Nanocarriers for Therapeutic Peptides and Proteins

Supramolecular chemistry holds great potential for the design of versatile and safe carriers for therapeutic proteins and peptides. Nanocarriers can be designed to meet specific criteria for given application (exact drug, administration route, target tissue, etc.). However, alterations in the topology of formulation components can drastically change their activity. This is why the supramolecular topology of therapeutic nanoconstructions has to be considered. Herein, we discuss several topological groups used for the design of nanoformulations for peptide and protein delivery: modification of polypeptide chains by host-guest interactions; packaging of proteins and peptides into liposomes; complexation and conjugation with dendrimers. Each topological type has its own advantages and disadvantages, so careful design of nanoformulations is needed. Ideally, each case where nanomedicine is needed requires a therapeutic construction specially created for that taking into account features of the administration route, target tissue, or organ, properties of a drug, its bioavailability, etc. The wide number of studies in the field of protein delivery by supramolecular and nanocarriers for proteins and peptides evidence their increasing potential for different aspects of the innovative medicine. Although significant progress has been achieved in the field, there are several remaining challenges to be overcome in future.

Supramolecular Antibacterial Materials for Combatting Antibiotic Resistance

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria have emerged as a severe threat to human health. As effective antibacterial therapies, supramolecular materials display unprecedented advantages because of the flexible and tunable nature of their noncovalent interactions with biomolecules and the ability to incorporate various active agents in their platforms. Herein, supramolecular antibacterial materials are discussed using a format that focuses on their fundamental active elements and on recent advances including material selection, fabrication methods, structural characterization, and activity performance.

Trojan Antibiotics: New Weapons for Fighting Against Drug Resistance

Bacterial resistance has caused a global healthcare emergency due to the buildup of antibiotics in the environment. Novel approaches that enable highly efficient bactericide and auto inactivation are highly desired. Past researches mainly focused on the on-off bactericidal ability of antibiotics, which often displays unsatisfactory bactericidal efficiency. Herein, we report a Trojan antibiotic that considers the affinity of antibiotics to bacteria. A disguised host-guest supramolecule based on cucurbituril (CB[7]) and a bola-type azobenzene compound with glycosylamine heads at both ends is synthesized. This supramolecule has a surface fully decorated with sugar-like components, which are highly analogous to wall components of bacteria. This Trojan antibiotic is benign to a wide spectrum of bacteria at a weak basic pH of approximately 9.0 under daylight conditions. However, this antibiotic becomes a potent bactericide toward both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria at pH 4.0 under 365 nm UV irradiation. The dual use of pH and UV light greatly enhances the efficiency of the bactericidal effect so that the 50% minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC₅₀) of the Trojan antibiotic is at least 10 times smaller than that of conventional drugs, and the removal of the UV source and reversal of pH automatically stop the antibacterial behavior, which prevents the buildup of active antimicrobial materials in the environment. We expect that the presented Trojan supramolecular strategy may open up a new paradigm in the fight against bacterial resistance.

Switchable modulation of bacterial growth and biofilm formation based on supramolecular tripeptide amphiphiles

A minimalistic dual-responsive supramolecular tripeptide system was developed for switchable control of bacterial growth and biofilm formation.

A [2]pseudorotaxane based on a pillar[6]arene and its application in the construction of a metallosupramolecular polymer

A novel metallosupramolecular polypseudorotaxane was constructed by pillar[6]arene-based host–guest recognition and metal coordination.

Radical Cation Initiated Surface Polymerization on Photothermal Rubber for Smart Antifouling Coatings

Biofouling on surfaces of various materials has attracted considerable attention in biomedical and marine industries. Surface grafting based on covalent surface-initiated polymerization offers a popular route to address this problem by providing diverse robust polymer coatings capable of preventing the biofouling in complex environments. However, the existing methods for synthesizing polymer coatings are complicated and rigorous, or require special catalysts, greatly limiting their practical applications. In this work, a radical-cation-based surface-initiated polymerization protocol to graft the surface of darkened trans-polyisoprene (TPI) rubber with a thermo-responsive smart polymer, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM), through a simple iodine doping process is reported. A series of characterizations were performed to provide adequate evidence to confirm the successful grafting. Combining the thermal sensitivity of PNIPAM with the photothermal conversion ability of the darkened rubber, efficient bacteria-killing and antifouling capabilities were successfully achieved as a result of temperature-controlled iodine release and switchable amphiphilicity of PNIPAM.

Alleviation of Polycation-Induced Blood Coagulation by the Formation of Polypseudorotaxanes with Macrocyclic Cucurbit[7]uril

Hexadimethrine bromide (HB), a polycation to neutralize heparin and control internal bleeding, may also cause serious blood coagulation that may be life-threatening. Reversal of HB by heparin and vice versa might potentially lead to a vicious circle of alternative bleeding and blood coagulation. In this Letter, a biocompatible synthetic nanoreceptor, cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]), was demonstrated to dramatically alleviate HB-induced blood coagulation in vitro as well as in vivo, through the formation of HB@CB[7] polypseudorotaxanes. This discovery, for the first time, suggests the significant clinical potential of a synthetic receptor in alleviating the side effects and toxicity of a polycationic drug.

An eco-friendly in situ activatable antibiotic via cucurbit[8]uril-mediated supramolecular crosslinking of branched polyethylenimine

We report an unprecedented, eco-friendly, in situ activatable model antibiotic, phenylalanyl-polyethylenimine (PhePEI), to potentially diminish antibiotic pollution of the environment and associated antibiotic resistance. The inactive PhePEI can be reversibly activated upon supramolecular crosslinking by cucurbit[8]uril, conferring potent antibacterial activity.

Construction of [2]rotaxane-based supramolecular polymers driven by wheel-stopper π⋯π interactions

A new strategy for supramolecular polymerization is designed and presented, which is based on the wheel-stopper charge-transfer interactions of [2]rotaxanes.

Multifunctional bacterial imaging and therapy systems

Advanced antibacterial materials are classified and introduced, and their applications in multimodal imaging and therapy are reviewed.

Supramolecular Porphyrin Photosensitizers: Controllable Disguise and Photoinduced Activation of Antibacterial Behavior

A series of supramolecular photosensitizers were fabricated from porphyrin derivatives (Por) containing quaternary ammonium groups with cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]) based on host-guest interactions. The antibacterial activity of Por in the dark could be turned off upon binding with CB[7], whereas the antibacterial activity under white-light illumination could be turned on. In addition, its antibacterial efficiency could be greatly enhanced by introducing metal ions. When Pd(II) was introduced into porphyrin, its antibacterial efficiency was enhanced from 40 to 100%. It should be noted that these small molecules showed little to no cytotoxicity toward mammalian cells even at concentrations higher than those under the antibacterial condition studied. This line of research will provide a strategy for germicides consisting of quaternary ammonium groups to fight against bacterial accumulation in the long term and holds huge potential for application in the real world.

Supramolecular Conjugated Polymer Systems with Controlled Antibacterial Activity

Infections of antibiotic-resistant pathogens have caused a series of public health crises across the world. According to the latest published reports, an antibiotic switch has been recognized as a potential strategy to control antibacterial activity for combating this serious drug resistance. Thus, it is anticipated that more effective antibiotic switches should be obtained by further exploring the developed strategies. Here, we report an improved pretreatment strategy using a surfactant (Triton X-100) for constructing an effective supramolecular antibiotic switch based on a poly(fluorene-co-phenylene) derivative (PFP) and cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]), which can regulate the aggregation state of polymers before the supramolecular self-assembly process occurs. Triton X-100 can regulate the aggregation states of conjugated polymers, which is used to successfully realize the reversible control of bactericidal activity of PFP in the dark and under white light irradiation by supramolecular assembly/disassembly between PFP and CB[7]. Specialized antibiotic switches are significantly important to fight pathogenic infections and solve the drug resistance crisis in the future.