A green synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles using Musa Paradisiaca and Rooibos extracts.

This study describes the single pot synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) using a mixture of and for use against the fungi . These nanoparticles are known to be one of the most multifunctional inorganic nanoparticles with effective antifungal and antibacterial activity. The synthesized ZnONPs were characterized by a peak at 290 nm in the UV-vis spectrum while HRSEM confirmed rod-shaped nanoparticles. The FTIR data clearly revealed that the extracts contained -OH  functional groups whose role was capping agents during the nanoparticle synthesis. This study also found that the purity of the green synthesised ZnO NPs (GZnO NPs) was 94.4 %, 91.5 %, and 82.1 %, respectively, using XRD, HRTEM, and HRSEM-EDS. The antifungal activity of ZnONPs was tested against using the Kirby Bauer method. The maximum inhibition zone observed in the ZnO NPs against was confirmed to be 24 mm, a clear indication that the synthesized ZnO NPs have great potential to act as effective antifungal agents.•Zinc nitrate hexahydrate [Zn(NO)·6HO] was used as the inorganic metal oxide precursor.•Extracts of banana () peel and tea leaves of Rooibos ( infused with Buchu () were the organic constituents used as reducing and capping agents during GZnO NPs synthesis.•Validation of the formed GZnO NPs was done using; Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), X-ray spectroscopy (XRD), Fourier-transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), High-resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM) and Selected Area Electron Diffraction (SAED), and High-Resolution Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy-Dispersive Spectroscopy (HRSEM-EDS).