Antimicrobial potential and rhodamine B dye degradation using graphitic carbon nitride and polyvinylpyrrolidone doped bismuth tungstate supported with in silico molecular docking studies

Abstract

The environmental-friendly hydrothermal method has been carried out to synthesize Bi₂WO₆ and g-C₃N₄/PVP doped Bi₂WO₆ nanorods (NRs) by incorporating different concentrations of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) as well as a specified quantity of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). Bi₂WO₆ doped with g-C₃N₄ provides structural and chemical stability, reduces charge carriers, degrades dyes, and, owing to lower bandgap energy, is effective for antibacterial, catalytic activity, and molecular docking analysis. The purpose of this research is the treatment of polluted water and to investigate the bactericidal behavior of a ternary system. The catalytic degradation was performed to remove the harmful rhodamine B (RhB) dye using NaBH₄ in conjunction with prepared NRs. The specimen compound demonstrated antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli (E. coli) at both high and low concentrations. Higher doped specimens of g-C₃N₄/PVP-doped Bi₂WO₆ exhibited a significant improvement in efficient bactericidal potential against E. coli (4.55 mm inhibition zone). In silico experiments were carried out on enoyl-[acylcarrier-protein] reductase (FabI) and β-lactamase enzyme for E. coli to assess the potential of Bi₂WO₆, PVP doped Bi₂WO₆, and g-C₃N₄/PVP-doped Bi₂WO₆ NRs as their inhibitors and to justify their possible mechanism of action.