Superior antibacterial performance of surfactant-assisted ZnO nanoflakes produced via Co-precipitation method

Abstract

Microbiological infections are one of the major problems that modern people encounter. Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoflakes are excellent antimicrobial agents. The objective of this work was to synthesize ZnO nanoflakes with the assistance of surfactants and investigate the processes behind their antibacterial properties. The experiment involved the synthesis of ZnO using several surfactants, including cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB), polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP), and polyethylene glycol (PEG), and its analysis using XRD, FT-IR, SEM, EDAX, and BET methods. Both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains were used in these investigations. ZnO nanoflakes aided by CTAB (R-2) had the most promising action against the tested bacterial strains like Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Bacillus cereus. These ZnO nanoflakes with CTAB assistance consistently had greater inhibitory zones than other samples. The R-2 sample’s enhanced surface area and particle size, which result in improved antibacterial activity. The investigation’s outcomes show that the produced nanoflakes have the potential to be useful in antibacterial and other medicinal applications.