Antibacterial and Photocatalytic Properties of ZnO Nanoparticles Obtained from Chemical versus <i>Saponaria officinalis</i> Extract-Mediated Synthesis
Maria Antonia Tănase,
Maria Marinescu,
Petruta Oancea,
Adina Răducan,
Catalin Ionut Mihaescu,
Elvira Alexandrescu,
Cristina Lavinia Nistor,
Luiza-Izabela Jinga,
Lia Mara Diţu,
Cristian Petcu,
Ludmila Otilia Cinteza
Affiliations
Maria Antonia Tănase
Physical Chemistry Department, University of Bucharest, 030018 Bucharest, Romania
Maria Marinescu
Organic Chemistry Department, University of Bucharest, 030018 Bucharest, Romania
Petruta Oancea
Physical Chemistry Department, University of Bucharest, 030018 Bucharest, Romania
Adina Răducan
Physical Chemistry Department, University of Bucharest, 030018 Bucharest, Romania
Catalin Ionut Mihaescu
Polymer Department, National Institute for Research and Development in Chemistry and Petrochemistry-ICECHIM, 202 Spl. Independentei, 060021 Bucharest, Romania
Elvira Alexandrescu
Polymer Department, National Institute for Research and Development in Chemistry and Petrochemistry-ICECHIM, 202 Spl. Independentei, 060021 Bucharest, Romania
Cristina Lavinia Nistor
Polymer Department, National Institute for Research and Development in Chemistry and Petrochemistry-ICECHIM, 202 Spl. Independentei, 060021 Bucharest, Romania
Luiza-Izabela Jinga
Plasma and Radiation Physics, National Institute for Lasers, Atomistilor Str. 409, 077125 Bucharest-Magurele, Romania
Lia Mara Diţu
Microbiology Department, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, 60101 Bucharest, Romania
Cristian Petcu
Polymer Department, National Institute for Research and Development in Chemistry and Petrochemistry-ICECHIM, 202 Spl. Independentei, 060021 Bucharest, Romania
Ludmila Otilia Cinteza
Physical Chemistry Department, University of Bucharest, 030018 Bucharest, Romania
In the present work, the properties of ZnO nanoparticles obtained using an eco-friendly synthesis (biomediated methods in microwave irradiation) were studied. Saponaria officinalis extracts were used as both reducing and capping agents in the green nanochemistry synthesis of ZnO. Inorganic zinc oxide nanopowders were successfully prepared by a modified hydrothermal method and plant extract-mediated method. The influence of microwave irradiation was studied in both cases. The size, composition, crystallinity and morphology of inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) were investigated using dynamic light scattering (DLS), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), SEM-EDX microscopy. Tunings of the nanochemistry reaction conditions (Zn precursor, structuring agent), ZnO NPs with various shapes were obtained, from quasi-spherical to flower-like. The optical properties and photocatalytic activity (degradation of methylene blue as model compound) were also investigated. ZnO nanopowders’ antibacterial activity was tested against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains to evidence the influence of the vegetal extract-mediated synthesis on the biological activity.
