Mechanistic insights into antibacterial and anti-biofilm activities against multidrug-resistant microbes of SnTe nanospheres synthesized by sonochemical method

Abstract

The sonochemical method is used to synthesize SnTe nanoparticles (Nps). Elemental analyses validated the stoichiometry of the nanoparticles. The phase and structure of the unit cell are verified by X-ray diffraction which shows nanoparticles are SnTe phase and a cubic crystal structure with a unit-cell lattice parameter of 6.31 Å having Fm-3m space group (No. 225), with Z = 4. The spherical form of nanoparticles is confirmed by electron microscopy. The Raman investigation showed a distinctive peak at 128.10 cm−1 connected to SnTe. The HR-TEM scans demonstrate that the Nps has size ranging between 25 and 30 nm and SnTe phase is confirmed by match of fringe pattern d-spacing. The SnTe Nps showed antibacterial properties through the formation of biofilms. The as-synthesized nanoparticles showed an efficient anti-microbial effect on staphylococcus aureus (MTCC 9542), listeria monocytogenes (MTCC 657), and proteus vulgaris (MTCC 426) bacteria. The study showed 100% growth suppression after 24 h of treatment with SnTe Nps, demonstrating the antimicrobial efficacy of SnTe Nps. The MIC (IC50) of 20 μg/mL for staphylococcus aureus is found to be resistant to the SnTe Nps effective anti-biofilm action. Based on these results, the authors looked into the feasibility of coating surfaces with the sample to prevent the growth of biofilms.