Bismuth subcarbonate nanoparticles fabricated by water-in-oil microemulsion-assisted hydrothermal process exhibit anti-Helicobacter pylori properties

Well-crystallized bismuth subcarbonate ((BiO)(2)CO3) nanoparticles were successfully synthesized by water-in-oil (w/o) microemulsion-assisted hydrothermal method. In this synthesis, bismuth citrate and urea are used as the precursors and the thermal decomposition of citrate leads to the formation of major carbonate anion. The reaction, nucleation and growth steps are confined inside the water droplets and hence uniform and well-crystallized spherical nanoparticles are formed. Importantly, these nanoparticles exert comparable anti-Helicobacter pylori activities to the clinically used drug, colloidal bismuth subcitrate (CBS), which offers a promise for development of new nanomedicines. (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.