Room temperature and surfactant free synthesis of zinc peroxide (ZnO2) nanoparticles in methanol with highly efficient antimicrobials

Abstract

In the present work, a fast, facile, low temperature, and surfactant free synthesis procedure is developed for the preparation of zinc peroxide nanoparticles (ZnO2NPs) in methanol solution. ZnO2 were prepared via reduction of methanolic solution of zinc ions using NaBH4 as a reducing agent to metallic zinc, followed by oxidation using hydrogen peroxide. The produced ZnO2 nanoparticles were characterized using TEM, SEM, TG, DSC, Raman, XRD, FTIR, UV–Vis absorption spectroscopy. The mean size of the nanoparticles was around 15 nm based on SEM and TEM measurements. Interestingly, ZnO2 showed effective antibacterial and antifungal activities. Antibacterial activity was examined versus medically substantial Multidrug Resistant Bacteria (MDR) Gram-positive, Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA), and Gram-negative, klebsiella pneumoniae (MDR). Low concentration as 16 mg/L was recorded as minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) towards the MDR bacterial. Antifungal activity was conducted against Candida albicans (C. albicans), and 16 mg/L was measured as MIC. Thus, low cost and facile preparation strategy for fabrication of ZnO2 nanoparticles merged with their effective antibiotic activity will open a door for further utilizing this kind of peroxide nanomaterials in other biological applications.