Abstract

CHARACTERIZATION OF Mg DOPED ZnO NANOPARTICLES SYNTHESIZED BY A NOVEL GREEN ROUTE USING AZADIRACHTA INDICA GUM AND ITS ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY

A. Geetha, R. Sakthivel and J. Mallika*

ABSTRACT

Eliminating the use, generation of materials hazardous to human health and the environment, green synthesis using plants have been proposed as an alternative and environmentally friendly methods in the synthesis of metallic nanoparticles. The present work deals with the green synthesis of Mg-doped ZnO nanoparticles using Azadirachta indica gum as bio template. X-Ray diffraction patterns of the prepared nanoparticles confirmed the hexagonal wurtzite structure and the crystallite size decreases as the doping concentration of Mg increases. Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FE-SEM) confirms the presence of flower-like structure. Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDAX) result confirms the presence of zinc, oxygen and Mg atoms and proves that the dopant Mg has successfully incorporated into the ZnO matrix. From the UV-Vis absorption spectra, the band gap energy of the Mg doped ZnO nanoparticles was calculated and found to increase with the increase in Mg concentration. The antibacterial activity of the Mg doped ZnO samples on gram positive S. aureus and gram negative E.coli bacterial strains was assayed by well diffusion method.

Keywords: Azadirachta indica, S. aureus, E.coli.