Antimicrobial properties of ZnO nanoparticles incorporated in polyurethane varnish

Abstract

The antimicrobial effect of the ZnO nanoparticles dispersed in polyurethane varnishes was investigated. Antimicrobial activity was evaluated against three bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and one strain fungi (Sacharomyces cerevisiae) by the “pour-plate” test. It was shown that the ZnO nanoparticles efficiently inhibit growth of the colonies of Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, but their activity against Escherichia coli was found to be questionable suggesting more detailed research.

Keywords

• ZnO nanoparticles
• Polyurethane
• Nanocomposite coating
• Antibacterial activity