{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,18]],"date-time":"2026-01-18T22:40:50Z","timestamp":1768776050592,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":45,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"20","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,20]],"date-time":"2025-10-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1760918400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"\u201cExcellence Initiative\u2014Research University\u201d program for the AGH University of Krakow","award":["ID 9774"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["ID 9774"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJMS"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The aim of the study was to develop hybrid nanomaterials based on monodisperse silica spheres as carriers for silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) or bismuth nanoparticles (BiNPs) and to evaluate their antimicrobial properties. Silica spheres were synthesized using a modified St\u00f6ber method, either unmodified or functionalized with (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES), prior to AgNP or BiNP deposition. The materials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), and zeta potential measurements, while antimicrobial activity was assessed by microdilution against Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium) and Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa), with Helicobacter pylori as a clinical model. The results show that both SiO2-AgNP and SiO2-BiNP composites completely inhibited H. pylori and showed high activity against other pathogens, although P. aeruginosa remained less susceptible. Functionalization of AgNP-coated samples with APTES promoted uniform distribution of AgNPs, with the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) to minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ratios ranging from 1 to 4, confirming a bactericidal rather than bacteriostatic effect. In contrast, BiNP-coated samples without APTES exhibited lower MIC values from 74 to 595 \u03bcg mL\u22121, consistent with increased Bi3+ release from amorphous phases. This indicates the antimicrobial potential, highlighting the role of surface functionalization in regulating ion release and biological performance, and suggesting applications in the biomedical and food industries.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms262010203","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,20]],"date-time":"2025-10-20T15:20:12Z","timestamp":1760973612000},"page":"10203","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Silica Spheres Functionalized with Silver and Bismuth Nanoparticles\u2014Antibacterial Activity Against Clinically Relevant Bacterial Pathogens"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"26","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6020-8060","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Marcin","family":"Gajek","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Materials Science and Ceramics, AGH University of Krakow, Av. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Krakow, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2756-3340","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Karolina","family":"Klesiewicz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Medyczna 9, 30-688 Krakow, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1087-5129","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maria","family":"Biegun-\u017burowska","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Materials Science and Ceramics, AGH University of Krakow, Av. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Krakow, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6158-217X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Paula","family":"Parreira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"i3S\u2014Instituto de Investiga\u00e7\u00e3o e Inova\u00e7\u00e3o em Sa\u00fade, Rua Alfredo Allen, 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0702-7137","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Magdalena","family":"Zi\u0105bka","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Materials Science and Ceramics, AGH University of Krakow, Av. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Krakow, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Agnieszka","family":"R\u00f3\u017cycka","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Materials Science and Ceramics, AGH University of Krakow, Av. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Krakow, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Alicja","family":"Rapacz-Kmita","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Materials Science and Ceramics, AGH University of Krakow, Av. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Krakow, Poland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,20]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"277","article-title":"The antibiotic resistance crisis: Part 1: Causes and threats","volume":"40","author":"Ventola","year":"2015","journal-title":"Pharm. Ther."},{"key":"ref_2","unstructured":"WHO (2025, September 01). Antimicrobial Resistance. 2023. Available online: https:\/\/www.who.int\/news-room\/fact-sheets\/detail\/antimicrobial-resistance."},{"key":"ref_3","unstructured":"O\u2019Neill, J. (2025, September 01). Tackling Drug-Resistant Infections Globally: Final Report and Recommendations. Review on Antimicrobial Resistance. 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