Ionic liquid-based composites: Multifunctional antibacterial platform

Ionic liquids (ILs), which are composed of organic cations and inorganic or organic anions, have attracted attention in the antibacterial field because of their tailorable physicochemical properties and antibacterial activity. The overuse of antibiotics has hastened the proliferation and evolution of bacteria resistant to drugs, highlighting the pressing necessity for the creation of novel antimicrobial agents to address bacterial-related illnesses. Designable antibacterial ILs offer a promising therapeutic option for bacterial infection-like diseases. They are becoming increasingly important in the antibacterial field. Combining ILs with different types of other substances to construct IL-based composites is a good strategy for achieving improved antibacterial properties or adding new properties for better practical applications. In this review, we mainly focus on antibacterial IL-based composite systems using ILs as reactive components (antibacterial agents, drug carriers or structural supporting components, etc.), including IL-based polymer composites, IL-based metal composites, IL-based carbon composites and IL-based mesoporous silica composites. In particular, we clarify the role of ILs and other components in the aforementioned composite systems, focusing on composite synthesis methods and their specific antibacterial applications. We also discuss the challenges and future development prospects of IL-based composites. This review is intended to provide guidance for designing multifunctional antibacterial IL-based composites.