Structural and Morphological Insights of ZnO Nanoparticles and their Antibacterial Applications

In the present work, ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesised in a simple and scalable way by the co-precipitation method. The structural and morphological properties of fabricated nanoparticles were analysed using various spectroscopic and microscopic techniques. X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD) revealed a pure hexagonal wurtzite phase of ZnO NPs. Surface hydroxyl groups, moderate colloidal stability, and mostly spherical nanoparticles with an average particle size of approximately 16 nm were evidenced by FTIR, zeta potential, and HRTEM analysis, respectively. ZnO NPs demonstrated strong antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, due to reactive oxygen species generation, Zn²⁺ ion release, and nanoparticle–membrane interactions. The synthesized ZnO NPs will be used in the future to expand antibacterial testing to Gram-negative bacteria, explore green synthesis methods, and tailor nanoparticle properties for biomedical and multifunctional applications based on prior findings.