Facile In-Situ Fabrication of a Ternary ZnO/TiO/Ag Nanocomposite for Enhanced Bactericidal and Biocompatibility Properties.

This paper presents for the first time a successful fabrication of ternary ZnO/TiO/Ag nanocomposites consisting of zinc oxide (ZnO), titania (TiO) and silver (Ag) nanoparticles (NPs) synthesised using fruit (MCF) extract. ZnONPs were synthesised using the co-precipitation method, and TiO and Ag were introduced into the precursor solutions under microwave irradiation to obtain ZnO/TiO/Ag nanocomposites (NCs). This material demonstrated enhanced bactericidal effect towards bacterial pathogens compared to that of the binary TiO/Ag, Ag and TiO alone. In vitro cytotoxicity results of the as-synthesised ZnO/TiO/AgNCs on RAW 264.7 macrophages and A549 cell lines revealed a negative role in cytotoxicity, but contributed astoundingly towards antimicrobials as compared of Ag alone and binary Ag/TiO. This study shows that the resultant ternary metal/bi-semiconductor nanocomposites may provide a therapeutic strategy for the eradication of bacterial pathogens without affecting the healthy mammalian cells.