ANTIBACTERIAL MULTI-CHARGED METAL COMPLEXES AND COATINGS WITH METAL  NANOPARTICLES THEREOF Contact-based destruction of microbial organisms requires a favourable interaction of the microbes  with the surfaces. Charged materials having three dimensional structural scaffolds with inherent antimicrobial properties would be of  great advantage in preventing the spread of infectious diseases. The present invention discloses the design and synthesis of a set of  molecules of the general formula 1, wherein coordination of transition metal ions provides access to metal complexes of general  formula 2. Complexation of metal ions allows a plurality of the molecules of general formula 1 around the central metal ion leading to  the formation of multi-charged metal complexes bearing multiple viologen moieties. These metal complexes, that are inherently  antimicrobial in nature, further allow better microbial interactions with a coated surface. Exceptional antimicrobial activity was  imparted to surfaces coated with a base coat comprising the complexes of general formula 2 and a TiO2-based nanomaterial, alongside  a second coating of binary metal nanoparticles, resulting in near complete microbial disinfection. While the aforesaid combination of  coating formulations resulted in highly stable coatings with near complete retention of their anti-microbial activity after several cycles  of temperature, humidity and wash treatments, the coatings devoid of the base coat resulted in poorly stable coatings on cotton fabrics.