Synthesis and Characterization of the Zinc-Oxide: Tin-Oxide Nanoparticle Composite and Assessment of Its Antibacterial Activity: An In Vitro Study.

Introduction Nanoparticles (NPs) have been widely used for biomedical applications. Various methods of synthesis of NPs have been performed and the sol-gel technique is one of the most common and feasible methods. ZnO and SnO NPs are widely used due to their interesting properties and versatile medical applications. The present study aimed to synthesize a composite of ZnO- SnO NPs and evaluate its structural, morphological, and antibacterial properties. Materials and methods ZnO-SnO NPs were prepared via the sol-gel technique. The morphological study was performed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging, the structural study was performed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, and chemical studies were performed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDAX). Antibacterial properties of the NPs were assessed by the agar diffusion test and the area of bacterial growth that was inhibited was measured under high and low concentrations of the NPs. Results The SEM analysis confirmed the irregular shape and elemental composition of the synthesized NPs. The purity of the NPs was confirmed by the EDAX spectrum, which indicates the weight percentages of the elements in the NPs as follows: Sn-53.8%, Zn-12.5%, O-29.1%, and C-4.7%. The chemical bonds between the NPs were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. XRD analysis confirmed the high degree of crystallinity of the NPs and orthorhombic structure of SnO and the hexagonal structure of ZnO. The zone of inhibition against S. , S. and E. for low concentrations of the NPs was 24 mm, 26 mm, and 30 mm and for high concentrations of the NPs it was 26 mm, 28 mm, and 31mm and these values were similar to the control antibiotics.  Conclusion ZnO- SnO NPs were successfully prepared by the sol-gel method. The presence of NPs was confirmed and successfully characterized. The prepared NPs had a good antimicrobial effect against the tested pathogens.