Solochemical synthesis and characterization of ZnO nanostructures with different morphologies and their antibacterial activity

Zinc oxide nanostructures were synthesized by solochemical method using different precursors. ZnO nanostructures were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Scanning electron microscopy, Transmission electron microscopy and UV – vis diffuse reflectance/absorption spectroscopy. The X-ray diffraction patterns of different ZnO nanostructures suggest that the synthesized structures have hexagonal wurtzite structure of zinc oxide. Scanning electron microscopic and Transmission electron microscopic images revealed the different shapes and sizes of the zinc oxide nanostructures. The UV – vis absorption spectra of the zinc oxide nanostructures show blue-shift in wavelength corresponding to bulk. Band gap energies of zinc oxide nanostructures are determined by UV – vis diffuse reflectance spectra. The zinc oxide nanostructures were evaluated for their antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Gram-negative bacteria seemed to be more resistant to ZnO nanostructures than Gram-positive bacteria.