Ionic liquids (ILs) have generated considerable attention recently because of their cytotoxicity and application as antibiotics. However, the mechanism of how they damage cell membranes is not currently well understood. In this paper, the antibacterial activities of two imidazolium-based ILs, namely 1-butyl- 3-methylimidazolium tetrafluroborate ([BMIM][BF4]) and 1-ethyl- 3-methylimidazolium tetrafluroborate ([EMIM][BF4]) have been investigated. The activity of [BMIM][BF4] on gram negative bacteria E. coli is observed to be stronger compared with the short chained [EMIM][BF4]. To explain this observation, the effects of these ILs on the self-assembled structures of model cellular membranes have been investigated. The in-plane elasticity of a monolayer formed at air-water interface by 1,2-dipalmitoyl- sn-glycero- 3-phosphocholine (DPPC) lipids was reduced in the presence of the ILs. The x-ray reflectivity studies on polymer supported lipid bilayer have shown the bilayer to shrink and correspondingly exhibit an increase in electron density. The presence of a certain mol% of negatively charged lipid, 1,2-dipalmitoyl-rac-glycero-3-phospho-L-serine (DPPS), in DPPC mono- and bi-layers enhances the effect considerably.

离子液体（ILs）由于其细胞毒性和作为抗生素的应用，近来引起了相当大的关注。但是，目前尚不清楚它们如何破坏细胞膜的机制。在本文中，两个咪唑基ILs，即1-氟-3-甲基咪唑四氟硼酸酯（[BMIM] [BF4]）和1-乙基-3-甲基咪唑四氟硼酸酯（[EMIM] [BF4]）的抗菌活性已经得到了证实。调查。[BMIM] [BF4]对革兰氏阴性菌大肠杆菌的活性观察到与短链[EMIM] [BF4]相比更强。为了解释该观察，已经研究了这些IL对模型细胞膜自组装结构的影响。在IL的存在下，由1,2-二棕榈酰-sn-甘油-3-磷酸胆碱（DPPC）脂质在空气-水界面形成的单层的面内弹性降低。在聚合物负载的脂质双层上的X射线反射率研究表明双层收缩并且相应地显示出电子密度的增加。在DPPC单层和双层中存在一定摩尔％的带负电荷的脂质1,2-二棕榈酰-rac-甘油-3-磷酸-L-丝氨酸（DPPS）会大大增强效果。