Plant-mediated synthesis of silver-doped zinc oxide nanoparticles and evaluation of their antimicrobial activity against bacteria cause tooth decay.

ABSTRACT

In this research, silver-doped zinc oxide (SdZnO) nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized in an environmental-friendly manner. The synthesized NPs were identified by UV-vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Finally, the antimicrobial activity of synthesized ZnO and SdZnO NPs was performed. It was observed that by doping silver, the size of ZnO NPs was changed. By adding silver to ZnO NPs, the antimicrobial effect of ZnO NPs was improved. Antibacterial test against gram-positive bacterium Streptococcus mutants showed that SdZnO NPs with a low density of silver had higher antibacterial activity than ZnO NPs; Therefore, SdZnO NPs can be used as a new antibacterial agent in medical applications. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS Silver-doped zinc oxide nanoparticles were prepared using an eco-friendly synthesis method and their antimicrobial activity against bacteria causing tooth decay was studied.