Preparation of Reduced ZnO/Ag Nanocomposites by a Green Microwave-Assisted Method and Their Applications in Photodegradation of Methylene Blue Dye, and as Antimicrobial and Anticancer Agents

In this present study, we report a facile microwave assisted green synthesis of ZnO/Ag nanocomposites (denoted as G-ZnO/Ag NCs) by employing Tridax procumbens leaf extract as a green solvent for photocatalytic, antimicrobial and cytotoxicity activities. The prepared nanocomposites was characterized by various techniques to study its crystallinity, morphology, structure, chemical composition, optical properties, and so on. The nanocomposites exhibited excellent photocatalytic performance (90.2 %) toward methylene blue degradation when irradiated under visible light (120 min). Furthermore, the G-ZnO/Ag NCs showed good reusable properties up to four consecutive cycles. In addition, the resultant nanocomposites showed significant antimicrobial activity with the zones of inhibition of 9.85 +/- 0.12 and 10.51 +/- 0.63 mm against gram positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and 11.98 +/- 0.22 and 13.76 +/- 0.12 mm against gram-negative (Escherichia coli), bacteria respectively, as measured using the well diffusion method. Although, the in-vitro cytotoxicity test showed 39.58 % viability of MCF-7 cells. In summary, this study suggest that G-ZnO/Ag NCs as a promising tool for wastewater treatment and nano biomedical applications using low cost and eco-friendly approach.

Automated summary

In this study, a facile microwave-assisted green synthesis of ZnO/Ag nanocomposites using Tridax procumbens leaf extract as a green solvent was reported for photocatalytic, antimicrobial, and cytotoxicity activities. The nanocomposites showed excellent photocatalytic performance, good reusable properties, significant antimicrobial activity, and moderate cytotoxicity against MCF-7 cells, suggesting promising applications in wastewater treatment and nano biomedical fields.