Effect of hydrothermal synthesis on physical property modulation and biological activity of ZnO nanorods

Influence of hydrothermal synthesis route on various defect states of ZnO nanomaterial and this specific synthesis route induced physical property modulation and the biological activity of ZnO nanomaterial has been considered here for the first time ever. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) reveal the presence of single phase wurtzite structure of ZnO nanomaterial with hexagonal rod like morphology. Photoluminescence (PL) study confirms the presence of structural defects in form of oxygen vacancy defects, zinc vacancy defects, zinc interstitial defects etc. in the ZnO nanomaterial. The detail analysis of magnetic response at different temperatures reveals the presence of vacancy mediated room temperature ferromagnetism (RTFM) in rod like ZnO nanomaterial. Dielectric response as a function of frequency has also been measured for ZnO nanorods. The result of this dielectric study shows that the nanomaterial of ZnO exhibits superior dielectric constant due to the grain boundary defect. Hydrothermal synthesis route influences the structure of ZnO nanomaterial mostly towards rod like in nature and the grain boundary defect of rod like structure creates large space charge polarization. In addition to the significant modulation of all these physical properties based on the hydrothermal synthesis route, various biological activities such as antibacterial and antifungal activities of these rod like ZnO nanomaterial has also been observed on the Gram negative clinical isolates like, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and plant pathogen Alternaria alternate. Hydrothermal synthesis route creates such an impact on the growth of ZnO nanomaterial that the material evolves with significant modulations of physical properties and biological activities.