Investigation of in-vitro antibacterial and seed germination properties of green synthesized pure and nickel doped ZnO nanoparticles

Abstract

A plant mediated, green and cost effective route was utilized for synthesis of pure and Ni-doped Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) using Brassica rapa leaf extract. Optical, structural and morphological properties of prepared nanoparticles were affirmed through UV–Vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. The synthesized ZnO-NPs represented hexagonal phase with crystallite size of 27.48 nm and were irregular in shape. The existence of functional groups was explored using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The antibacterial activity of the prepared nanoparticles was verified against a gram positive bacteria Micrococcus luteus and a gram negative bacteria Enterobacter aerogenes which confirmed that ZnO-NPs are efficient antibacterial agents. In addition, the prepared nanoparticles were applied on wheat and pearl millet seeds to investigate their effect on germination. It was observed that there was an appreciable enhancement in seed germination of seeds after treated with the synthesized ZnO-NPs.