A Facile Synthesis Approach for Iron-Doped Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles with Enhanced Antibacterial Properties

Bacterial resistance to commonly administered drugs has necessitated the need for alternative drugs for effective treatment. In this study, the synthesis, characterization, and antibacterial activity of iron-doped zinc oxide nanoparticles (Fe-ZnO Nps) were investigated. The synthesized nanoparticles (Nps) were characterized using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)/Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) methods of analysis. The synthesized Nps were tested against ten Clinical bacteria, which were both Gram-positive and Gram-negative (Micrococcus luteus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Enterobacter agglumerans, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Corynebacterium bovis) using the agar diffusion method. SEM/EDX images showed the spherical nature and the elemental composition of the nanoparticles, and the TEM images showed the morphology and the nanoparticles' size distribution. The presence of all the expected elements was an indication of the successful synthesis of the nanoparticles. Moreover, the SEM image of the synthesized nanoparticles showed that the nanoparticles were not uniformly distributed and that the nanoparticles were of different sizes. Iron-doped zinc oxide nanoparticles (Fe-ZnO Nps) exhibited excellent and significant antimicrobial activity against all the bacteria (inhibitory zones ranging from 29.00 - 32.00 mm). The result from this study revealed that all the organisms were susceptible to the synthesized Fe-ZnO Nps. The obtained result is a clear indication of the potential applications of the Fe-doped ZnO Nps to combat the challenge of bacterial resistance.