ECO-FRIENDLY BLENDED OF ZNO NPS USING SOLANUM TUBEROSUM EXTRACT: CHARACTERIZATION, OPTOELECTRONIC POTENTIAL AND ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY

Abstract

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (NPs) were produced through an environmentally friendly ultrasonication solution combustion method, utilizing Solanum tuberosum as the extract. The average crystallite size was determined using Scherrer’s method, based on Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) peaks, and was found to be approximately 12 nm, within a range of 4 to 14 nm. The sample exhibited a hexagonal wurtzite crystalline structure. Surface morphology, as observed through Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), displayed a spongy appearance with agglomeration. Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX) analysis shows the elemental composition of the prepared sample. Ultraviolet-Visible-Near Infrared (UV-Vis-NIR) spectroscopy revealed the energy band gap to be 3.36 eV when analyzed with Tauc’s plots. Fluorescence spectroscopy and CIE chromaticity analysis placed the synthesized sample in the blue region, making it suitable for optoelectronic devices and LEDs. Additionally, the an-tibacterial activity of the synthesized ZnO NPs was evaluated, and the inhibition method demonstrated their effectiveness against Escherichia coli and Staphylo-coccus aureus.