Antibacterial Activity of Radiosensitizer Bismuth Nanomaterials

Authors

• Kirti Agarwal, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA
• Alisha Prasad, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA
• Pradip R. Panta, Southeastern Louisiana University, Hammond, LA
• Syed M. Hasan, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA
• Yuming Wang, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA
• Orhan Kizilkaya, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA
• Amitava Roy, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA
• James Dorman, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA
• William T. Doerrler, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA
• Manas Ranjan Gartia, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-23-2025

Publication Title

ACS Applied Bio Materials

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance presents a growing global threat, necessitating the development of therapeutic approaches. Traditional antibiotics often act on a single molecular target, making them susceptible to the development of resistance. In contrast, metal-based nanomaterials exhibit multifactorial antibacterial mechanisms, offering a promising alternative. This study integrates the antibacterial and radiosensitizing properties of bismuth-based nanomaterials, specifically, bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) and bismuth tungstate (Bi2WO6), to demonstrate the radiocatalytic antibacterial activity. We synthesized BiVO4 and Bi2WO6 nanomaterials via hydrothermal methods and characterized their morphology, crystallinity, and electronic structure using electron microscopy, photoluminescence, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS and XANES). These materials exhibited robust generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) upon exposure to low-dose X-ray radiation (0.042 Gy/min; 50 kV, 0.3 mA), resulting in significant bacterial inactivation of Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus at doses ranging from 0.42 to 3.36 Gy. Radiocatalytic efficacy was confirmed using a ROS-sensitive knockout E. coli strain (ΔoxyR), underscoring that ROS are the primary bactericidal agents. The findings demonstrate that these nanomaterials enhance radiation dose deposition due to their high atomic number and bandgap-tuned ROS generation. This platform could potentially be used for diverse applications, such as biofilm eradication in industrial pipelines, metal surface sterilization in marine environments, and space-based microbial decontamination.

First Page

775

Last Page

785

DOI

10.1021/acsabm.5c01578

Rights

© 2025 American Chemical Society

Recommended Citation

Agarwal, Kirti; Prasad, Alisha; Panta, Pradip R.; Hasan, Syed M.; Wang, Yuming; Kizilkaya, Orhan; Roy, Amitava; Dorman, James; Doerrler, William T.; and Gartia, Manas Ranjan, "Antibacterial Activity of Radiosensitizer Bismuth Nanomaterials" (2025). LSU-LCMC Cancer Center Faculty Publications. 127.
https://digitalscholar.lsuhsc.edu/llcc_facpubs/127
10.1021/acsabm.5c01578