The principle of Le Chatelier was used in demonstrating that 3-chloro-4,4-dimethyl-2-oxazolidinone (compound 1) itself kills Staphylococcus aureus rather than the very small amount of free chlorine in hydrolysis equilibrium with compound 1. On the other hand, when the N-bromo analog of compound 1 (compound 1B) was used as the disinfectant, the mixture of combined compound 1B and free bromine formed in the hydrolysis equilibrium provided disinfection. When the hydrolysis equilibrium for 1B was suppressed to the level at which a negligible amount of free bromine remained in solution, combined compound 1B was much more efficacious than combined compound 1 at killing S. aureus.
Agent I (3-chloro-4,4-dimethyl-2-oxazolidinone) formed in situ was compared with pre-formed agent I as a disinfectant against Staphylococcus aureus. In situ formation involved combining the non-chlorinated oxazolidinone precursor with calcium hypochlorite to form 5 and 10 mg/l total chlorine concentrations of agent I. The variables included in the study were temperature, pH and concentration. Overall the bacteria were killed more rapidly at 22 degrees than at 4 degrees C. The in situ formation appeared to occur most rapidly at pH 7.0, slightly slower at pH 9.5, and very slowly at pH 4.5 as evidenced by the presence of residual free chlorine. In the in situ experimental runs the 5 and 10 mg/l concentrations were equally effective in obtaining a six log decline in cfu/ml. This study indicates the potential for using the organic N-chloramine as a general purpose disinfectant while omitting the laboratory synthesis of the final product.
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