Advanced Ceramics Progress

Advanced Ceramics Progress

Exploring the Antibacterial Potential of Zinc Sulfide/Chitosan Nanocomposites

Document Type : Original Research Article

Authors
Mohammad Mahdi Hosseinieh Farahani 1
Maryam Hajiebrahimi 2
Amir Hossein Afzali 1
Danial Moradi 1
Sanaz Alamdari 3
Omid Mirzaee 4
1 BSc Student, Faculty of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran.
2 Research Assistant, Faculty of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran.
3 Assistant Professor, Department of Nanotechnology, Faculty of New Sciences and Technologies, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran.
4 Professor, Faculty of Materials & Metallurgical Engineering, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran.
10.30501/acp.2025.486319.1164
Abstract
Bacterial infections are a rising concern, and nanomaterials offer promising solutions to combat them. The synthesis and antibacterial characteristics of zinc sulfide/chitosan nanocomposite were investigated to solve this critical issue, paving the way for new possibilities in this filed. The manufacturing and analysis of these nanocomposites were also studied based on some imaging methods such as XRD, FTIR, FESEM, EDX elemental mapping, and antibacterial (a colony count method). The results from XRD indicated that chitosan and hexagonal ZnS crystals with the average size of 30-40 nm formed ZnS/CS nanoparticles. The FTIR spectrum revealed nanoparticle groups and bonding which were indicative of synthesis and stability. Additionally, FESEM imaging demonstrated the surface shape of the nanocomposite with a particle size distribution of 212-nm, and EDX confirmed its components and composition. Antibacterial effectiveness against Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria was also evaluated. ZnS nanoparticles and ZnS/CS nanocomposite were found to be more potent than CS and ZnS alone. These findings show that the produced samples may provide insights into prospective paths for fighting bacterial infections and enhancing biomedical technologies.
Keywords
Nanocomposite
Zinc Sulfide
Chitosan
Nanoparticle
Antibacterial Activity
Subjects
  1. Aboelwafa, M. A., Abdelghany, A. M., & Meikhail, M. S. (2021). Preparation, characterization, and antibacterial activity of ZnS-NP’s filled polyvinylpyrrolidone/chitosan thin films.  Res. Appl. Chem, 11(6), 14336-14343. http://dx.doi.org/10.33263/BRIAC116.1433614343
  2. Afzali, A. H., Hajiebrahimi, M., Hosseinieh Farahani, M. M., Alamdari, S., & Mirzaee, O. (2024). Exploring the Potential of ZnS/CdS Dual Nanocomposites in Photocatalytic Degradation for Water Cleanup. Advanced Ceramics Progress, 10(4), 5-14. https://doi.org/10.30501/acp.2025.486343.1165
  3. Alamdari, S., Haji Ebrahimi, M., Mirzaee, O., Jafar Tafreshi, M., Majlesara, M. H., Tajally, M., ... & Mohammadi, A. (2022). Cerium doped tungsten-based compounds for thermoluminescence application. Progress in Physics of Applied Materials, 2(1), 35-40. https://doi.org/10.22075/ppam.2022.27086.1028
  4. Alamdari, S., Hemmati, M., Jafar Tafreshi, M., & Ehsani, M. H. (2023). Erbium doped Barium Tungstate-Chitosan Nanocomposite: Luminescent Properties. Progress in Physics of Applied Materials, 3(2), 119-123. https://doi.org/10.22075/ppam.2023.31808.1065
  5. Alamdari, S., Mirzaee, O., Jahroodi, F. N., Tafreshi, M. J., Ghamsari, M. S., Shik, S. S., ... & Park, H. H. (2022). Green synthesis of multifunctional ZnO/chitosan nanocomposite film using wild Mentha pulegium extract for packaging applications. Surfaces and Interfaces, 34, 102349. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.surfin.2022.102349
  6. Ali, Z. I., Mosallam, F. M., Sokary, R., Afify, T. A., & Bekhit, M. (2021). Radiation synthesis of ZnS/chitosan nanocomposites and its anti-bacterial activity. International Journal of Environmental Analytical Chemistry, 101(3), 379-390. https://doi.org/10.1080/03067319.2019.1667986
  7. Almadari, S., Mansoorian, M., & Mousavi-Kamazani, M. (2025). Biosafe Chitosan Films Reinforced with Zinc Oxide/Graphene Oxide: Comprehensive Multifunctional Properties. BioNanoScience, 15(1), 1-14.
    https://doi.org/10.1007/s12668-025-01808-7
  8. Ameh, T., Zarzosa, K., Dickinson, J., Braswell, W. E., & Sayes, C. M. (2023). Nanoparticle surface stabilizing agents influence antibacterial action. Frontiers in Microbiology, 14, 1119550. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1119550
  9. Aqeel, M., Ikram, M., Asghar, A., Haider, A., Ul-Hamid, A., Naz, M., ... & Ali, S. (2020). Synthesis of capped Cr-doped ZnS nanoparticles with improved bactericidal and catalytic properties to treat polluted water. Applied Nanoscience, 10, 2045-2055. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13204-020-01268-3
  10. Badabagni, P. R., & Nayakanti, D. (2023) Zn-based Nanomaterials for Antimicrobial Applications: A Short Review. https://doi.org/10.22214/ijraset.2023.49817
  11. Budea, C. M., Pricop, M., Mot, I. C., Horhat, F. G., Hemaswini, K., Akshay, R., ... & Marincu, I. (2023). The Assessment of Antimicrobial Resistance in Gram-Negative and Gram-Positive Infective Endocarditis: A Multicentric Retrospective Analysis. Medicina, 59(3), 457. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina59030457
  12. Carstens, N., Mirigliano, M., Strunskus, T., Faupel, F., Lupan, O., Milani, P., & Vahl, A. (2021). Nanoparticles as Building Units for Bio-Inspired Electronics–Switching and Sensing. In Electronics, Communications and Computing(pp. 88-93). https://doi.org/10.52326/ic-ecco.2021/EL.01
  13. Duwarah, H., Devi, J., Sharma, N., Saikia, K. K., & Datta, P. (2023). Zinc Sulphide Quantum Dots’ Applications in Antibacterial as well as Estimation of E. coli Concentration by Fabricating Mem-Mode Devices. Advanced Materials Research, 1176, 11-18. https://doi.org/10.4028/p-5m1d1m
  14. Farahani, M. M. H., Hajiebrahimi, M., Alamdari, S., Najafzadehkhoee, A., Khounsaraki, G. M., Agheb, M., ... & Mirzaee, O. (2024). Synthesis and antibacterial activity of silver doped zinc sulfide/chitosan bionanocomposites: A new frontier in biomedical applications. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 280, 135934. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.135934
  15. Frieri, M., Kumar, K., & Boutin, A. (2017). Antibiotic resistance. Journal of infection and public health, 10(4), 369-378. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jiph.2016.08.007
  16. Hajiebrahimi, M., Alamdari, S., & Mirzaee, O. (2024). The Potential of Silver-Doped Zinc Sulfide/Cadmium Sulfide Nanocomposites in Optoelectronic Applications. Iranian Journal of Materials Science & Engineering, 21(4). http://dx.doi.org/10.22068/ijmse.3784
  17. Hajiebrahimi, M., Alamdari, S., Mirzaee, O., & Tajally, M. (2022). Luminescence investigation of Ce doped ZnO/CdWO4Advanced Ceramics Progress, 8(3), 8-12. https://doi.org/10.30501/acp.2022.363264.1102.
  18. Hajiebrahimi, M., Alamdari, S., Mirzaee, O., Albov, D., & Hvizdos, P. (2025). Flexible cerium-doped tungstate oxide/titanium dioxide nanocomposite for high-sensitivity energy conversion in optical applications. Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics, 36(2), 103. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-024-14141-8
  19. Hassan, S. A. (2020). Artificial neural networks for the inverse design of nanoparticles with preferential nano-bio behaviors. The Journal of Chemical Physics, 153(5). https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0013990
  20. Kang, S. G., Lee, K. E., Singh, M., & Vinayagam, R. (2023). Salicylic-zinc nanocomposites with enhanced antibacterial activity. Coatings, 13(5), 941. https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings13050941
  21. Khoerunnisa, F., Nurhayati, M., Herlini, H., Adzkia, Q. A. A., Dara, F., Hendrawan, H., ... & Lim, J. (2023). Design and application of chitosan-CuO nanocomposites synthesized via novel hybrid ionic gelation-ultrasonication methods for water disinfection. Journal of Water Process Engineering, 52, 103556. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwpe.2023.103556
  22. Kusrini, E., Wilson, L. D., Padmosoedarso, K. M., Mawarni, D. P., Sufyan, M., & Usman, A. (2023). Synthesis of Chitosan Capped Zinc Sulphide Nanoparticle Composites as an Antibacterial Agent for Liquid Handwash Disinfectant Applications. Journal of Composites Science, 7(2), 52. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcs7020052
  23. Mekuye, B., & Abera, B. (2023). Nanomaterials: An overview of synthesis, classification, characterization, and applications. Nano Select, 4(8), 486-501. https://doi.org/10.1002/nano.202300038
  24. Moradi, D., Hosseini, M., Hajiebrahimi, M., Alamdari, S., & Mirzaee, O. (2024). Optical Properties of Flexible Nanocomposites Synthesized as Powders via the Hydrothermal Method Under Ionizing Excitations. Advanced Ceramics Progress, 10(3), 15-22. https://doi.org/10.30501/acp.2024.486443.1166
  25. Mustafa, H. N., & Al-Ogaidi, I. (2023). Efficacy of zinc sulfide-chitosan nanoparticles against bacterial diabetic wound infection. Iraqi journal of agricultural sciences, 54(1), 1-17. https://doi.org/10.36103/ijas.v54i1.1671
  26. Paula, A. J., & Koo, H. (2017). Nanosized building blocks for customizing novel antibiofilm approaches. Journal of Dental Research, 96(2), 128-136. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022034516679397
  27. Pires, J. R. A., Rodrigues, C., Coelhoso, I., Fernando, A. L., & Souza, V. G. L. (2023). Current applications of bionanocomposites in food processing and packaging. Polymers, 15(10), 2336. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15102336
  28. Singh, S. P., Singh, A. K., & Yadav, P. (2022). Synthesis and characterization of structural and optical properties of Ni-doped zinc sulfide nanoparticles. Journal of Advanced Scientific Research, 13(04), 87-93. https://doi.org/10.55218/JASR.202213416
  29. Valinezhad, N., Talebi, A. F., & Alamdari, S. (2023). Biosynthesize, physicochemical characterization and biological investigations of chitosan-Ferula gummosa essential oil (CS-FEO) nanocomposite. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 241, 124503. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.124503
  30. Zannat, K. E., Tanzim, S. M., Afrin, A., Saha, B. C., Joynal, J. B., Khanam, T. A., & Nira, N. H. (2023). Antibacterial Effects of Methanolic Leaf Extracts of Henna (Lawsonia inermis) Against Two Most Common Pathogenic Organisms: Gram Positive Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-Negative Escherichia coli. Mymensingh medical journal: MMJ, 32(2), 296-302. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37002737/

  • Receive Date 30 October 2024
  • Revise Date 30 November 2024
  • Accept Date 15 July 2025