Crosslinked alginate/silica/zinc oxide nanocomposite: A sustainable material with antibacterial properties

Abstract

In the current study silica gel was extracted from rice husk as light and cost effective biomaterial followed by incorporation in crosslinked alginate for preparing nontoxic and functionalized nanocomposite material. Alginate/silica hybrid was investigated as a template for zinc oxide formation. Zinc oxide nanoparticles with diameters of ca. 20 nm were homogenously anchored onto alginate/silica hybrid. The antibacterial activity of the composite was evaluated against gram positive (S. aureus) and gram negative (E. coli) bacteria. The current article shows that the alginate/silica/zinc oxide nanocomposite is promising sustainable and disinfection materials to effectively inhibit bacterial.