Evaluation of Cytotoxic Effect in Ag/ZnO Nanocomposites on Human Myelogenous Leukaemia
S. Magara Jothi Lakshmi
St. Xavier’s College (Autonomous), affiliated to Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tirunelveli 627002, Tamil Nadu, India.
S. G. Rejith *
St. Xavier’s College (Autonomous), affiliated to Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tirunelveli 627002, Tamil Nadu, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The Ag/ZnO nanocomposite was successfully synthesized through the co-precipitation method, as confirmed by the simultaneous presence of Ag and ZnO reflections in powder X-ray diffraction analysis, validating its formation. Analysis using FESEM revealed an average particle size of around 22 nm and displayed a unique flower-like morphology, indicating a distinctive self-assembly and growth pattern of the nanocomposite. Structural composition and functional groups were studied using FT-IR spectroscopy. The nanocomposite exhibited direct and indirect band gaps of 3.06 and 3.00 eV, respectively, determined through UV-Vis NIR spectrometry and Tauc plot analysis. Evaluation of the cytotoxic effect on K562 (human myelogenous leukaemia) cells demonstrated a concentration-dependent decrease in cell viability, highlighting the potential of the nanocomposite to induce cytotoxic effects on these cancer cells.
Keywords: Ag/ZnO, nanocomposite, co-precipitation, band gap, cytotoxicity