Callistemon viminalis leaf extract phytochemicals modified silver–ruthenium bimetallic zinc oxide nanocomposite biosynthesis: application on nanocoating photocatalytic Escherichia coli disinfection

Abstract

Antibiotics are of great interest due to antibiotic-resistant problems around the globe due to bacterial resistance to conventional antibiotics. In this study, a novel green biosynthesis of silver–ruthenium bimetallic zinc oxide nanocomposite using Callistemon viminalis leaf extract as a reducing agent using zinc nitrate hexahydrate, silver nitrate, and ruthenium(III) chloride as capping agents was reported. The results demonstrated that the surface morphology of the prepared bimetallic nanocomposite by scanning electron microscopy was hexagonal in shape for zinc nanoparticle, rectangular in shape for silver nanoparticle, and tetragonal in shape for ruthenium nanoparticle, having an average surface size 25, 35, and 55 nm, respectively. Fourier transform infrared analysis confirmed the presence of compounds containing alkene, halo-, sulfoxide, phenol, nitro-, phenyl-ester, carboxylic acid, amines, and alcohols which act as functional groups attached to the surface of nanocomposites. Results from X-ray diffraction analysis found 81.12% crystallinity and hexagonal structure of zinc nanoparticles, rectangular structure of silver nanoparticles, and tetragonal structure of ruthenium nanoparticles, which are also similar to the results from transmission electron microscopy analysis. The average size distribution by dynamic light scattering of silver–ruthenium bimetallic zinc oxide nanocomposite was 255 nm, which confirms the biosynthesis of non-uniform size. Photo-disinfection activity of a silver–ruthenium bimetallic zinc oxide nanocomposite against Escherichia coli bacteria isolated from hospital wastewater under dark and ultraviolet-A irradiation conditions was observed. The antibacterial activity was calculated at 2.42704239, ensuring the silver–ruthenium bimetallic zinc oxide nanomaterials have photo-disinfection properties. The results from this study revealed that the developed novel antibacterial nanocomposite of silver–ruthenium bimetallic zinc oxide is useful in nanocoating photocatalytic Escherichia coli disinfection and can be applied to disinfect surfaces.