Synthesis of Hollow Zinc Phytate–Silver Nanocomposites for Antibacterial Applications

ABSTRACT Hollow zinc phytate–silver nanocomposites (Zn‐PA–Ag NCs) were synthesized via a template‐assisted approach involving the etching of zeolitic imidazolate framework‐8 (ZIF‐8) by phytic acid, followed by in situ deposition of Ag nanoparticles (NPs). The resulting nanocomposites featured well‐defined hollow architectures with Ag NPs uniformly distributed on the surface of the Zn‐PA shells. Structural and compositional analyses confirmed the successful formation and integrity of the Zn‐PA–Ag NCs. The nanocomposites demonstrated excellent antibacterial performance against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus , with the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) as low as 15.625 µg·mL −1 . At a concentration of 50 µg·mL −1 , the antibacterial rates against both strains exceeded 95%. CCK‐8 assays further revealed negligible cytotoxicity at concentrations between 7.813 and 31.25 µg·mL −1 . These results underscore the potential of Zn‐PA–Ag NCs as a promising class of broad‐spectrum antimicrobial materials for next‐generation antibacterial applications.