Investigation of biochemical properties of flash sintered ZrO2–SnO2 nanofibers

Abstract

ZrO2–SnO2 nanocomposition were produced in nanofibers (NFs) form with three various mixing volume ratio by electrospinning technique. The microstructure and morphological characterization of NFs reveals the ternary system of ZrO2–SnO2–ZrSnO4. Furthermore, Band gap structure of NFs was varied with the composition ratio which consequently affect the Flash sintering (FS) event. The FS experiments were utilized under thermal (844–878 °C) and electric field (420 V/mm) with 3.77 mA/mm2 current cutoff. Highly dense nanocomposition were obtained in less than 80secs with a max power absorption of 1.58 W/mm3. Thanks to low sintering temperature and time, nanostructured surface morphology were acquired which is crucial for biochemical properties of nanocompositions. Drosophila melanogaster food was covered with sintered nanocompositions and the control food. The toxicity of the nanomaterial in the insect, survival rate(%), development time(days) were investigated. In order to support the results, biochemical analyzes (total oxidative level-TOS, total antioxidant level-TAS and oxidative stress index-OSI) were performed in adults. In addition, antimicrobial activity was evaluated with Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. It was determined that the nanomaterials had an antimicrobial effect along with non-toxic effect on the insect. Besides, it did not change the survival rate of the insect in all groups. Although there was a one-day difference in development times, it did not cause a statistical change in the OSIs of female and male individuals. We believe that the synthesized nanocompositions can be used as a valid candidate in the healthcare system, such as dental implants, due to its antimicrobial effect and non-toxicity in the model organism.