Synthesis, characterization, and antibacterial activities of a novel nanohydroxyapatite/zinc oxide complex

Nanohydroxyapatite (n-HA)/zinc oxide (ZnO) complex was synthesized by a direct precipitation method, and the antibacterial capability and antibacterial mechanism of this complex were investigated in this article. Transmission electron microscope (TEM), Fourier transform infrared, X-ray photoelectronic spectroscopy (XPS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were used to analyze the materials. In addition, the antibacterial capacity of n-HA/ZnO complex was examined by bacteriolytic plate, inhibition effect, and antibacterial rate assays under light or without light. Furthermore, agarose gel electrophoresis of plasmid DNA (pUC18) was used to study biocidal action of this complex. The results of TEM observation revealed that the complex's rods had a single crystalline obelisk-like hexagonal wurtzite structure and the crystal retained the nanometer size. XRD analysis indicated that the phase of ZnO appeared and the lattice parameters of n-HA and ZnO changed. XPS spectra showed that the bonding energy of Ca, P, and O atoms changed in the complex. The analyses also showed that the two phases of ZnO and n-HA combined closely. Further, the results of the antibacterial test revealed that this complex possessed strong antibacterial capability; the antibacterial rate was 99.45% to S. aureus and 95.65% to E. coli under light, respectively. The antibacterial activity of this complex under light was better than without light, which was attributed to the generation of .OH under light. From the agarose gel electrophoresis, the dissolving solution of this complex could catalyze the cleavage of pUC18.