Durga Prasad et al Int. Journal of Engineering Research and Applications www.ijera.com ISSN : 2248-9622, Vol. 4, Issue 6( Version 3), June 2014, pp.84-89 www.ijera.com 84 | Page A Study on the Antibacterial Activity Of Zno Nanoparticles Prepared By Combustion Method against E Coli Durga Prasad 1 , C. R.Girija 1 *, A. Jagannatha Reddy 2 , H. Nagabhushana 3 , B. M. Nagabhushana 4 , T. V. Venkatesha 5 , S T Arun Kumar 6 1* Department of Chemistry, SSMRV Degree College, Jayanagar 4 th T Block, Bangalore, 2 Department of Physics, M. S. Ramaiah Institute of Technology, Bangalore 3 Department of PG studies in Physics and Research, University Science College, Tumkur University, Tumkur 4 Department of Chemistry, M.S. Ramaiah Institute of Technology, Bangalore 5 Department of P.G. Studies & Research in Chemistry, Kuvempu University, Shankaraghatta, 6 Serene Biosciences, Bangalore Abstract Crystalline Zinc Oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles were synthesized by low temperature solution combustion method using Oxalyl dihydrazide (ODH) as fuel, at much lower temperature (300 o C). X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed the formation of wurtzite-structured pure ZnO No peaks from any else phases of ZnO and no impurity peaks were observed, indicating the high purity of the obtained hexagonal ZnO nanocrystals. The antibacterial activity of the formed nano ZnO were investigated against the pathogenic bacteria namely against E-coli. The bacteriological test is performed in Luria-Bertani and Nutrient agar media on solid agar plates and liquid broth system using different concentration of ZnO by standard microbial method. We have used both colony counting method and disk diffusion method. In both the methods ZnO nanoparticles with 100microg/L showed best antibacterial activity, and further studies on destruction of bacterial genomic DNA was done using PCR and gel electrophoresis revealed the DNA fragment bands, this activity might be due to surface charge interactions between the particles and cells. Free radical scavenging properties of the particles might have helped in cell wall disruption, and drastic antimicrobial action. Key words: Combustion, Nano-materials, Zinc oxide, X-ray techniques, E Coli I. Introduction Nanotechnology is of growing importance in many branches of research because of the opportunity for miniaturization and the interesting properties associated with a small particle size. It is well known that many fundamental properties of nanostructure materials (optical, electrical, mechanical, etc.) can be expressed as a function of their size, composition, and structural order. Meanwhile, nanostructures with different morphologies are nuclear parts of functional nanostructure devices [1, 2]. The preparation of nanoparticles is a complicated process and a wide variety of different variables may affect the properties of the final product. Some important variables have distinct effects on the properties of the final product, while others may have only minor effects or no effect at all. Certain variables can also have an interaction effect on the properties of the prepared nanoparticles. The effects of a large number of variables can be effectively studied with the aid of a statistical experimental design. Their uniqueness arises specifically from higher surface-to-volume ratios and an increased percentage of atoms at the grain boundaries. The ongoing worldwide nanotechnology revolution is predicted to impact several areas of biomedical research and other science and engineering applications. Nanoparticle- assisted drug delivery, cell imaging, and cancer therapy are important biomedical applications of nanotechnology. For semiconductor materials, doping with different elements can adjust their electrical, optical, and magnetic properties effectively [3–8]. Progress in utilizing inorganic nanoparticles for biomedical applications has advanced rapidly as a result of the extensive amount of work done in the synthesis and modification of the nanoparticles. The advantage of using the inorganic oxides for biomedical applications is that they contain mineral elements essential to humans and exhibit strong activity even when administered in small amounts. The synthesis of nanorods, nanowires, and nanotubes has generated much interest in recent years with respect to the advanced nanoscience and nanotechnology in the next generation of electronic and optical Nano devices. Recently, the nanoscience development has been beyond the simple pursuit for single nanoparticle, and the hierarchical assembly of nanoscale of building blocks into complex architectures has attracted much interest due to their special collective properties and wide potential RESEARCH ARTICLE OPEN ACCESS