Investigation on the Antifungal potentials of Bioash-doped ZnO Nanocomposites prepared by Chemical Bath Deposition Technique for Biomedical applications

Abstract

This study evaluated the antifungal efficacy of oil palm finger bioash-supported ZnO Nanocomposites (OPfBA-ZnO NCs) synthesized via chemical bath deposition as a sustainable nanomaterial for dermatophytosis management. The bioash and nanocomposites were characterized using EDX, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), UV–Vis, Raman, and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analyses. Antifungal activity was assessed against eight clinically important dermatophyte species. EDX revealed that the bioash contained abundant K (42.5 wt%), Ca (18.97 wt%), Si (5.33 wt%), and Ag (2.15 wt%), while BET confirmed a mesoporous structure (155.9 m²/g; pore diameter ≈2.13 nm). The NCs exhibited pH-dependent optical properties with bandgap energies of 3.48–4.10 eV. Raman and FTIR analyses confirmed successful integration of bioash constituents into the ZnO matrix. The OPfBA-ZnO NCs showed broad-spectrum antifungal activity with inhibition zones of 10.11–26.80 mm, while the bioash alone produced 13.13–30.87 mm. The eco-friendly OPfBA-ZnO nanocomposite demonstrated promising anti-dermatophytic activity and potential for topical antifungal, antimicrobial coating, and environmental remediation applications.