Abstract
In this work, bismuth oxide nanoparticles (Bi2O3 NP) were prepared by laser ablation of a solid target in distilled water. The optical and structural properties of Bi2O3 NPs were studied using UV-VIS spectroscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), transmission electron microscope (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR). The results showed that the average particle size is less than 20 nm. The antibacterial activity of the Bi2O3 NPs was determined and compared with amikacin against Acinetobacter baumannii and Staphylococcus aureus. The activity of Bi2O3 NPs was higher than the amikacin. Furthermore, the antibacterial activity of Bi2O3 NPs against S. aureus bacteria was higher than Acinetobacter baumannii; this result was confirmed by studying the effect of Bi2O3 NPs in bacterial biofilm formation in eyes contact lenses using atomic force microscopy (AFM) technique. Taken together, Bi2O3 NPs could be used as a preservative for contact lenses as eye drops to prevent the formation of microbial biofilms in contact lenses.