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1. Centrifugally spun PVP / ZnO composite fibers with different surfactants and their use as antibacterial agents

   https://doi.org/10.1002/app.54314  

   Sanchez, Jo Ann; Ibrahim, Amin; Materon, Luis; Parsons, Jason G; Alcoutlabi, Mataz (October 2023, Journal of Applied Polymer Science)

   Abstract Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) fibers embedded with Zinc Oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) were prepared by the centrifugal spinning of aqueous PVP solutions and ZnO NPs. The ZnO NPs were synthesized and coated with either cetyltrimethylammonium bromide or hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide. The structure and morphology of the nanocomposite fibers were studied using scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy and Thermogravimetric analysis. The effect of surfactant coating on the antibacterial activity of ZnO NPs and PVP/ZnO nanocomposite fibers againstEscherichia coli(E. coli) andBacillus megaterium(B. megaterium) bacteria was systematically investigated. The present study indicated that coating the ZnO NPs with surfactants resulted in large and uniform inhibition of bacterial growth. 

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2. Antibacterial Activities of Selenium-Modified Zn/Al Layered Double Hydroxide and Its Polycarbazole Hybrid

   https://doi.org/10.3390/app16041989  

   Adcock, Audrey F; Rodriguez, Cristian E; Tang, Kevin; Cruz, Rosalinda; Riaz, Ufana; Yang, Liju (February 2026, Applied Sciences)

   This study investigated the antibacterial activities of Se-Al/Zn layered double hydroxide (LDH) and its polycarbazole (PCz) hybrid against Gram-positive Bacillus subtilis and Gram-negative E. coli cells. Antibacterial performances were evaluated using zone of inhibition assays, viable cell counting, and measurement of metabolic activity based on intracellular ATP levels. The collective results showed that both materials exhibited significant antibacterial activity, with PCz–Se–Al/Zn LDH demonstrating enhanced antibacterial activity compared to Se–Al/Zn LDH. Fluorescent live/dead staining and scanning electron microscopy revealed that treatment with either material resulted in loss of metabolic activity and induction of a non-culturable state in bacterial cells, without observable membrane damage or pronounced morphological changes. Possible antibacterial mechanisms of action associated with LDH and PCz–LDH systems are briefly discussed. 

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3. Graphene Oxide-Hybridized Waterborne Epoxy Coating for Simultaneous Anticorrosive and Antibiofilm Functions

   https://doi.org/10.3389/fmats.2022.910152  

   Zhou, Ying; Wang, Haoran; Zhang, Cheng; Zhou, Qixin; Rodrigues, Debora F. (July 2022, Frontiers in Materials)

   Multifunctional coatings with simultaneous antibacterial and anticorrosive properties are essential for marine environments, oil and gas industry, medical settings, and domestic/public appliances to preserve integrity and functionality of pipes, instruments, and surfaces. In this work, we developed a simple and effective method to prepare graphene oxide (GO)-hybridized waterborne epoxy (GOWE) coating to simultaneously improve anticorrosive and antibacterial properties . The effects of different GO filler ratios (0.05, 0.1, and 0.5, 1 wt%) on the electrochemical and antibacterial behaviors of the waterborne epoxy coating were investigated over short- and long-term periods. The electrochemical behavior was analyzed with salt solution for 64 days. The antibacterial effect of GOWE coating was evaluated with Shewanella oneidensis (MR-1), which is a microorganism that can be involved in corrosion. Our results revealed that concentrations as low as 0.1 wt% of the GO was effective performance than the waterborne epoxy coating without graphene oxide. This result is due to the high hydrophilicity of the graphene oxide fillers, which allowed great dispersion in the waterborne epoxy coating matrix. Furthermore, this study used a corrosion relevant bacterium as a model organism, that is, Shewanella oneidensis (MR-1), which is more relevant for real-word applications. This as-prepared GO-hybridized waterborne polymeric hybrid film provides new insight into the application of 2D nanomaterial polymer composites for simultaneous anticorrosive and antibacterial applications. 

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4. Influence of morphology and surface properties on the antibacterial action of GaOOH microparticles

   https://doi.org/10.1116/6.0004133  

   Johnson, D A; Ahluwalia, P; Brannon, J H; Jodhka, P; Wayman, V; Rabine, Z; Strzhemechny, Y M (January 2025, Biointerphases)

   The growing threat of antibiotic-resistant bacteria necessitates the development of alternative antimicrobial agents. Gallium oxyhydroxide (GaOOH) is a promising candidate, though its direct antibacterial efficacy is unexplored. This study provides the first direct evidence of GaOOH microparticles exhibiting cytotoxic effects against both Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (S.aureus) and Gram-negative Escherichia coli (E. coli). Orthorhombic GaOOH particles were synthesized hydrothermally, with their morphology influenced by the pH of the synthesis process, as confirmed by scanning electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction analysis. Antibacterial assays revealed that cytotoxicity against E. coli increases with a higher synthesis pH, a trend we demonstrate to be associated with the enhanced defect density in particles, as supported by photoluminescence spectra and FTIR analysis. The study underscores the significant influence of synthesis conditions on the morphology and crystallinity of the resulting GaOOH microparticles, highlighting the influence of surface characteristics on antibacterial agents. 

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5. Highly Efficient Antimicrobial Activity of CuxFeyOz Nanoparticles against Important Human Pathogens

   https://doi.org/10.3390/nano10112294  

   Zhu, Lu; Pearson, David W.; Benoit, Stéphane L.; Xie, Jing; Pant, Jitendra; Yang, Yanjun; Mondal, Arnab; Handa, Hitesh; Howe, Jane Y.; Hung, Yen-Con; et al (November 2020, Nanomaterials)

   null (Ed.)

   The development of innovative antimicrobial materials is crucial in thwarting infectious diseases caused by microbes, as drug-resistant pathogens are increasing in both number and capacity to detoxify the antimicrobial drugs used today. An ideal antimicrobial material should inhibit a wide variety of bacteria in a short period of time, be less or not toxic to normal cells, and the fabrication or synthesis process should be cheap and easy. We report a one-step microwave-assisted hydrothermal synthesis of mixed composite CuxFeyOz (Fe2O3/Cu2O/CuO/CuFe2O) nanoparticles (NPs) as an excellent antimicrobial material. The 1 mg/mL CuxFeyOz NPs with the composition 36% CuFeO2, 28% Cu2O and 36% Fe2O3 have a general antimicrobial activity greater than 5 log reduction within 4 h against nine important human pathogenic bacteria (including drug-resistant bacteria as well as Gram-positive and Gram-negative strains). For example, they induced a >9 log reduction in Escherichia coli B viability after 15 min of incubation, and an ~8 log reduction in multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae after 4 h incubation. Cytotoxicity tests against mouse fibroblast cells showed about 74% viability when exposed to 1 mg/mL CuxFeyOz NPs for 24 h, compared to the 20% viability for 1 mg/mL pure Cu2O NPs synthesized by the same method. These results show that the CuxFeyOz composite NPs are a highly efficient, low-toxicity and cheap antimicrobial material that has promising potential for applications in medical and food safety. 

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