Sustainable Fabrication of Banana Pseudo-stem (Musa paradisiaca L.)-derived ZnO/Carbon Composite as a Photo-antibacterial Agent
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Photo-Antibacterial Agent, ZnO/Carbon Nanomaterial Composite, Banana Pseudo-Stem
Abstract
Bacterial infections and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) represent critical global health challenges, necessitating sustainable antibacterial alternatives. This study presents the hydrothermal synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles integrated with banana pseudo-stem-derived carbon (BPS-C) nanocomposite as a photo-antibacterial agent. Structural characterization confirmed crystalline hexagonal wurtzite ZnO formation (XRD), with ZnO nanoparticles distributed within the amorphous BPS-C matrix (broad halo 2θ ≈ 20–30°), verified by FTIR, SEM-EDS (C, O, and Zn peaks), and DLS analysis. These composites exhibited a significantly reduced hydrodynamic diameter (377 nm) compared to pure ZnO (826 nm) and BPS-C (19,602 nm), suggesting that the incorporation of BPS-C influenced the dispersion behavior of the composite particles. Furthermore, the incorporation of BPS-C influenced the optical properties and charge-carrier behavior of the composite material. More importantly, antibacterial activity was assessed using Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive) and Escherichia coli (Gram-negative) as representative bacterial strains. The ZnO/BPS-C composite demonstrated antibacterial effects against the Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus, whereas its impact on the Gram-negative Escherichia coli was lower compared to pure ZnO. The observed photo-antibacterial activity may be associated with reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation from the ZnO phase under light irradiation. The lower sensitivity of E. coli (maximum inhibition zone of 7.23 mm) may be associated with its protective lipopolysaccharide-rich outer membrane, while pristine BPS-C showed no antibacterial activity (6.00 mm). These findings demonstrate the feasibility of utilizing banana pseudo-stem as a sustainable biomass precursor for ZnO/carbon composite fabrication. Moreover, the ZnO/BPS-C nanocomposite emerges as a promising sustainable candidate for photo-antibacterial applications.
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