Preparation of manganese(II) oxide doped zinc oxide nanocomposites with improved antibacterial activity via ROS

Bacterial infection is a major cause of life-threatening infections. Zinc oxide nanoparticles (nano-ZnO) are an inorganic antimicrobial material with non-toxicity and low antimicrobial efficiency. To improve its antimicrobial activity, a series of manganese(II) oxide/ZnO nanocomposites were designed and prepared via a chemical precipitation method. After being characterized via EDS, XRD, SEM, TEM, and HRTEM, the obtained nanocomposites were proved to be successful with no impurities and exhibited smaller particle sizes. It showed improved photocatalytic activity and antibacterial activity under visible light. The MnO/ZnO-2.5% nanocomposite showed 92.3% inhibition against E. coli . MnO/ZnO nanocomposites can kill bacteria by generating reactive oxygen species.