Study of Anions Influence in 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium-Based Ionic Liquids as Antibacterial Agents

Wastewater, containing harmful pollutants like Escherichia coli bacteria, poses a significant threat to life sustainability due to its rapid breeding and environmental adaptation capabilities. The environmental sector urgently needs a response. Ionic liquids (ILs) are chemical substances that have a lot of advantages in a variety of applications, including wastewater treatment, due to their antibacterial capabilities. The antibacterial capabilities of ILs are strongly dependent on the sort of cations they have in comparison to anions. In addition, the length of the alkyl chain on the cation group considerably influences the hydrophobicity of the IL, boosting its antibacterial action. The goal of this study is to synthesize ILs using microwave irradiation. The preparation was carried out to create 1-ethyl-3-methyl-imidazolium (EMIM) cation-based ILs with different [BF₄]^- and [PF₆]^- anions. The functional groups of the IL generated following production were confirmed by FTIR analysis. The antibacterial activity of ILs was determined by using the agar disk diffusion method (Kirby-Bauer). The inhibition zone displays each ILs performance or efficacy in suppressing the development of surrounding germs. The best anion-type ILs have the potential to be used in wastewater treatment systems.