Facile Approach To Enhance The Antibacterial Activity Of Zno Nanoparticles

In this study, we carried out a simple surface modification of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) using didodecyldimethylammonium bromide (DDAB) as a cationic surfactant. The crystallographic properties, optical absorption, and morphology of the ZnO NPs did not change after the surface modification. The FT-IR spectra of the surface-modified ZnO NPs (SM-ZnO) showed the characteristic peaks of DDAB, which shifted to higher frequencies with an increase in the DDAB content. The zeta potential of the SM-ZnO NPs increased with an increase in the DDAB content and reaction time. The sedimentation test results revealed that the SM-ZnO NPs exhibited better dispersion and lower aggregation than pure ZnO NPs. The SM-ZnO NPs showed high surface positive charge, thereby generating additional Zn(2+)with higher surface tendency to the bacteria. The SM-ZnO NPs showed improved antibacterial activity against bothStaphylococcus aureusandEscherichia colistrains as compared to the pure ZnO NPs.