Synthesis, characterization, antibacterial and antifungal properties of ZnO and Ag doped ZnO nanoparticles

ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) have proven over time to have high applicability in the fields of optics, optoelectronics, sensors, supercapacitors, and nanomedicine. In this work, the ZnO and Ag-doped ZnO NPs were prepared by a modified sol-gel method at 60 degrees C in the presence of sodium dioctyl sulfosuccinate (DOSS) as a surfactant and xylitol as the gelling agent. All the synthesized samples have a hexagonal wurtzite structure with a crystallite size of 34.4 nm-50.4 nm and a rod -like morphology. The ZnO sample has the largest inhibition zone diameter of 4.17 cm (at S. aureus ), while the 5% wt. Ag-doped ZnO sample has a diameter of 3.03 cm (at E. coli ). The 0.3 and 0.5% wt. Ag-doped ZnO samples have a high resistance to the action of fungi (after 28 days).