Poly‐vinyl‐pyrrolidone capped luminescent zinc oxide nanocomposites as excellent tools for germicidal and photo‐catalytic performances

Alternate antibiotics developed through the involvement of nanomaterials are gaining interest due to their economical and lower toxicity concerns. A newly developed biopolymer‐based polyvinylpyrrolidone/zinc oxide (PVP/ZnO) nanocomposite (NCs) was efficiently synthesized by an environment‐friendly approach, utilizing onion and garlic peel extract as a bio‐surfactant, zinc acetate as the source, PVP as the stabilizing agent, and sodium hydroxide as the precipitant. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR) and X‐ray diffraction (XRD) investigations verified the crystalline properties of ZnO, PVP, and PVP/ZnO‐based NCs. The structure of the biopolymer‐linked ZnO particles interpolated inside the PVP array was seen to have a layered and flaky structure, as validated by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE‐SEM) analysis, which revealed its occurrence in the nanometer range. The XRD examination verified that the surface topographical image of PVP/ZnO NCs had an average thickness of 21 nm. The PVP/ZnO nanocrystals demonstrated exceptional photocatalytic efficacy, with a breakdown rate of 88% and almost 92% for the methylene blue dye. Therefore, the PVP/ZnO matrix exhibits superior antibacterial activity compared to other extracts, resulting in greater microbial suppression. The results above indicate that the ZnO‐intercalated PVP array has a stronger reinforcing effect than other components. Hence, PVP/ZnO nanocrystals exhibit enormous potential as a favorable substance for environmental and biomedical intentions.