Investigation of the antibacterial activity of sputtered ZnO coating on borosilicate glass: a nanostructured approach for food packaging

Abstract

In this study, nanostructured ZnO is sputter-coated on a 7059 corning borosilicate glass substrate via RF magnetron sputtering to explore its potential application in antimicrobial food packaging. Surface characterization via FE-SEM and XRD, contact angle measurement, transmittance measurement via UV visible spectroscopy, and antibacterial testing against E. coli and S. aureus have been conducted to evaluate the coating. Antimicrobial studies have shown excellent activity against E. coli (100%) and S. aureus (83.25%). The coating's stability was evaluated over 120 hours. The findings highlight the potential of sputtered ZnO coatings as active antimicrobial barriers for glass-based food packaging as well as healthcare packaging, offering enhanced hygiene, safety, and shelf-life extension for perishable products.