Nanocrystalline zinc oxide tetrapods with enhanced antibacterial activity

Abstract

The purpose of this research is the development of ZnO tetrapods structures with different morphology, nanoscopic facets and structure of spatial grids for biomaterial with antibacterial properties. In this sense, the so-called 3D freestanding micro- and nano-structures of different materials can meet our requirements and, therefore, be suitable for several applications, as they can easily be adapted to set goals using a variable-type substrates. The first study of antibacterial properties of ZnO tetrapods with nanoscopic facets against both Gram-positive (St. aureus, St. pyogenes) and Gram-negative (E. coli, K. pneumonia, P aeruginosa) bacteria with different efficiencies demonstrated the prospects of the use of these material as antimicrobial agents.