Antibacterial activity of carbon-coated zinc oxide particles

Particles of ZnO coated with carbon (ZnOCC) were prepared and evaluated for their antibacterial activity. ZnO powder and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) (polymerization degree: 2,000-95,000) were mixed at a mass ratio (ZnO/PVA) of 1, and then heated at 500-650 degree C for 3 h under argon gas with a flow rate of 50ml/min. Carbon deposited on the ZnOCC surface was amorphous as revealed by X-ray diffraction studies. The ZnOCC particles maintained their shape in water, even under agitation. The antibacterial activity of ZnOCC powder against Staphylococcus aureus was evaluated quantitatively by measuring the change in the electrical conductivity of the growth medium caused by bacterial metabolism (conductimetric assay). The conductivity curves obtained were analyzed using the growth inhibition kinetic model proposed by Takahashi for calorimetric evaluation, allowing the estimation of the antibacterial efficacy and kinetic parameters of ZnOCC. In a previous study, when ZnO was immobilized on materials, such as activated carbon, the amount of ZnO immobilized was approximately 10-50%, and the antibacterial activity markedly decreased compared to that of the original ZnO. On the other hand, the ZnOCC particles prepared in this study contained approximately 95% ZnO and possessed antibacterial activity similar to that of pure ZnO. The carbon-coating treatment could maintain the antibacterial efficacy of the ZnO and may be useful in the develop-ment of multifunctional antimicrobial materials.