Antimicrobial Activity of Polyvinyl Alcohol Incorporating Bismuth-Zinc Oxide Nanocomposite against Escherichia Coli and Staphylococcus Aureus

Abstract

More effective antimicrobial drugs are being sought for by researchers due to the rise of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms. This study presents the production and characterization of a nanocomposite of bismuth zinc oxide and polyvinyl alcohol that has antibacterial action against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Precision characterization using FTIR, XRD, EDX, and SEM was carried out in conjunction with the simple co-precipitation approach that was used to create the Bi-Zn oxide nanocomposite. The zone of inhibition was determined using the disks of the Kirby-Bauer diffusion method for both 5% and 10% of PVA (Bi-Zn) oxide. The outcomes revealed that 10% concentration displayed substantial sensitivity towards S. aureus with the zone of inhibition of 35 mm and moderate affectivity to E. coli. From these results, PVA blended with Bi-Zn oxide nanocomposites could be prospective candidate material for antimicrobial application, especially against gram-positive microorganisms.

Keywords: Nanocomposite synthesis, Antimicrobial efficacy, Biofilm Disruption, Bismith Zinc-Oxide, Pathogen Resistance