Preparation of ZnO@BD-g-C3N4 nano sheet material and investigation of its antimicrobial effectiveness

The aim of this study was to prepare zinc oxide loaded benzene-doped graphite carbon nitride (ZnO@BD-g-C3N4) supported nanosheet materials and to investigate their antimicrobial activity. BD-g-C3N4 nanocomposite was prepared by thermal polycondensation of urea and m-trihydroxybenzene. Then, using the co-precipitation method in accordance with the literatures, different amounts of ZnO nanoparticles obtained by the reaction of sodium bicarbonate and zinc acetate at different concentrations (0.04-0.24 M) in the presence of polyethylene glycol were decorated on the support material by adding the synthesized BD-g-C3N4. The electronic and morphological properties of the nanomaterial with the highest antimicrobial effect were characterized by FTIR, Uv-Dr, XRD, SEM and SEM-EDX. Antibacterial (Gram - and +) and antifungal activities of the prepared ZnO@BD-g-C3N4 nanocomposite were tested on Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) ATCC 27853, Escherichia coli (E. coli) ATCC 25922, Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) ATCC 6633, Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) ATCC 25923 and Candida albicans (C. albicans) ATCC 10231 microorganisms by agar well diffusion method with minor changes. As a result, the ZnO@BD-g-C3N4 nanosheets materials tested in the study showed antibacterial activity on Gram (+) bacteria S. aureus and Gram (-) bacteria P. aeruginosa. However, no antifungal activity was observed on yeast C. albicans.