Copolymers with both soft and rigid cationic rings as highly selective antimicrobials to combat antibiotic resistant microbes and biofilms.

A new series of main-chain copolymers constructed by linkage of both soft and rigid cationic rings has been developed. The imidazolium-DABCO copolymers possess good biocompatibility, high antimicrobial efficacy and lower propensity to develop resistance against a broad range of microbes, including multidrug resistant strains, and their respective biofilms.