Synthesis of the alternan-based zinc nanoparticles and determination of their functional effects

The technology, which is the technology of the year and is used in every field necessary for human life, is known as nanotechnology. This branch of science, which examines substances at the molecular level and enables their designs, has accelerated its development over the years. Nanotechnology is a science that covers many fields such as physics, engineering and chemistry. Nanostructured materials that appear as a result of this discipline of study display unique and novel features because of their dimensions. These charateristics have increased the intereset in nanoparticles and have accelerated growth in the field of nanotechnology. The aim of this study is to produce zinc nanoparticles whit functional properties by using alternan, a unique microbial polysaccharide, and then to characterize the nanoparticles and determine their antioxidant, antibacterial and antifungal effects. Zinc oxide is an ideal nanoparticle synthesized due to its different properties. Zinc oxide nanoparticles attract attention due to their non-tocix effects and wide application areas. Alternan is a highly unique polysaccharide that has been shown to be produced by a strain of Lactobacillus by our working group and is frequently studied by our group. İn this study, the possibility of using alternan as a stabilizer in the production of zinc nanoparticles was also investigated. The research concluded that the usage of alternan-based polysaccharide during the production of zinc oxide nanoparticles was suitable and did not casue any issues. It was determined that nanoparticles surface morphology, particle size and distribution were normal in FT-IR, DSC, XRD, TEM and SEM characterization methods applied to zinc oxide nanoparticles. Whit the XRD analysis, it was observed that the ZnO nanoparticle structures were in a crystaline state. Keywords: Nanotechnology, nanoparticle, zinc oxide, alternan.