Synthesis of ZnO coated multi-walled carbon nanotubes and their antibacterial activities

• Published in: The Science of the total environment Vol. 452-453; pp. 148 - 154
• Main Authors: Sui, Minghao, Zhang, Lingdian, Sheng, Li, Huang, Shuhang, She, Lei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier B.V 01.05.2013; Elsevier
• Subjects: Anti-Bacterial Agents - chemical synthesis; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Antimicrobial activity; Applied sciences; Bactericidal ability; Disinfection; Drinking water and swimming-pool water. Desalination; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical - methods; E. coli; Escherichia coli - drug effects; Exact sciences and technology; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; MWCNTs; Nanotubes, Carbon - chemistry; Nanotubes, Carbon - ultrastructure; Photoelectron Spectroscopy; Pollution; Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission; Water treatment and pollution; Zinc Oxide - chemistry; ZnO; Disinfection; Antimicrobial activity; MWCNTs; ZnO; Bactericidal ability; E. coli; Escherichia coli; Fluorescence; Carbon nanotubes; X ray; Zinc Oxides; Antimicrobial agent; Surface structure; Characterization; Bacteria; Photoelectron spectrometry; Enterobacteriaceae; Biological activity; Coated material; Energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry; Transmission electron microscopy; Multiwalled nanotube; Morphology; Preparation; Antibacterial agent; Nanostructured materials; Aqueous dispersion
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.02.056

ZnO coated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (ZnO/MWCNTs) were prepared and evaluated for their application potentials as an antimicrobial material for simultaneous concentrating and inactivating pathogenic bacteria. X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) were used to characterize the ZnO/MWCNTs. Escherichia coli (E. coli) was employed as the target bacterium. Comparing with the raw and the purified MWCNTs (r-MWCNTs and p-MWCNTs), which have been reported to possess antibacterial activity towards E. coli, ZnO/MWCNTs exhibited stronger antibacterial ability. The deposited ZnO was suggested to play an important role in the bactericidal action of ZnO/MWCNTs, while, the r-MWCNTs and p-MWCNTs served as more like adsorbing materials for E. coli. ► ZnO/MWCNTs were prepared and characterized. ► ZnO/MWCNTs were evaluated for the application potential as disinfection material. ► ZnO/MWCNTs exhibited strong antibacterial ability towards E. coli. ► ZnO seems to play an important role in the bactericidal action of ZnO/MWCNTs. ► MWCNTs served as more like adsorbing materials for E. coli.