HYDROTHERMAL MEDIATED SYNTHESIS OF ZnO NANORODS AND THEIR ANTIBACTERIAL PROPERTIES

Nanoceramics which possess antibacterial activity have recently received much attention as new inorganic antibacterial materials. Herein, we report the synthesis of nanostructured zinc oxide (ZnO) by surfactant assisted hydrothermal route using zinc acetate and hexamethylenetetramine (HMT). The as prepared ZnO nanoparticles were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Ultraviolet- visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), Photoluminescence spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Field emission- scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The XRD diffraction pattern corresponds to wurtzite structure of ZnO (JCPDS No.36:1451). The average crystallite size of the nanoparticles calculated from XRD, using Scherrer’s equation, is approximately 10 nm. FE-SEM shows the as prepared ZnO are in the form of hexagonal nanorods. The antibacterial behavior of suspension of ZnO nanorods against Escherichia coli (Gram-negative) and Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive) showed an enhanced antibacterial activity as compared to the bulk ZnO.