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Journal article
Antibacterial Activity of Quantum-Confined One-Dimensional Titanate Nanofilaments
Langmuir, Forthcoming
27 Apr 2026
PMID: 42041112
Featured in Collection : Drexel's Newest Publications
Abstract
The emergence of antimicrobial resistance demands fundamentally new classes of antibacterial materials that operate through mechanisms distinct from conventional chemical or photodynamic pathways. Here, we introduce quantum-confined, one-dimensional lepidocrocite titanate nanofilaments (1DL NFs) as a previously unexplored inorganic nanomaterial platform that inactivates bacteria through direct contact-mediated membrane disruption. The 1DL-Ti NFs exhibit potent antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Listeria innocua, achieving ∼96–99% inactivation within 4 h under ambient light and ∼85% in the dark, revealing light-independent efficacy. Multiparametric analyses─including reactive oxygen species assays, flow cytometry, and high-resolution electron microscopy─demonstrate a unique physical mechanism by which 1DL NFs result in membrane impalement, cell entrapment, and rapid biofilm-like agglomeration, distinct from ion- or reactive oxygen species-driven bactericidal pathways. Metal-ion release studies confirmed negligible leaching, ruling out ion-mediated toxicity. This “all-surface” architecture, enabled by the atomically thin one-dimensional structure of the NFs, differentiates them from conventional TiO2 nanocrystals and promotes strong interfacial contact with bacterial membranes. The synthesis is solution-based, low-temperature, highly scalable, and tolerant to the presence of several interlayer cations, providing modularity and manufacturability. These findings establish 1DL NFs as a new class of inorganic antibacterial materials with transformative potential for smart antimicrobial coatings, biomedical interfaces, water purification, and food-safety applications.
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Details
- Title
- Antibacterial Activity of Quantum-Confined One-Dimensional Titanate Nanofilaments
- Creators
- Mohammad Mozafari - Drexel UniversityMohamed Ahmed Ibrahim Ibrahim - Drexel University, Materials Science and EngineeringAidan McMoil - Drexel University, Chemical and Biological EngineeringJinjie He - Drexel University, C. and J. Nyheim Plasma InstituteChristopher Sales - Drexel University, C. and J. Nyheim Plasma InstituteMichel W Barsoum - Drexel University, Materials Science and EngineeringMasoud Soroush (Corresponding Author) - Drexel University, Chemical and Biological Engineering
- Publication Details
- Langmuir, Forthcoming
- Publisher
- ACS Publications
- Number of pages
- 11
- Grants
- Grant note
- Firuza Foundation: NA National Science Foundation: CMMI-2134607
The authors would like to acknowledge financial support provided by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) through Grants CMMI-2134607 and DMR-2211319. Additionally, they extend their appreciation to the Center for Genomic Sciences (CGS) at Drexel University to supply the E. coli bacterial strain used in this study. Flow cytometry experiments were conducted at Drexel University's Cell Imaging Center (RRID: SCR_022689). The authors thank Dr. Beatriz Hernaez-Estrada, FC Specialist at the Cell Imaging Center, for her expert assistance with these experiments and subsequent data analysis. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the NSF. M.M. and M.S. also acknowledge financial support from the Firuza Foundation.
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- C. and J. Nyheim Plasma Institute; Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering; Materials Science and Engineering; Chemical and Biological Engineering
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:001751425200001
- Other Identifier
- 991022172968304721