Antimicrobial hybrid coatings: A review on applications of nano ZnO based materials for biomedical applications

The extreme survivability of infectious microorganisms on various surfaces prompts for the risk of disease transmissions, posing a perilous concern for global health. Thus, the treatment of these pathogenic microorganisms using the nanomaterials functionalized with antimicrobial coatings reaps relevant scope in the ongoing trend of research. Driven by their admirable biocompatibility, cost-effectiveness, and minimal toxicity, ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) based antimicrobial hybrid coatings have emerged as a robust material to prevent the growth of infectious microorganisms on various surfaces, which in turn boosted their applications in the area of biomedical sciences. In this context, the current review focuses on the synthesis of ZnO-NPs based hybrid coatings using different polymers and inorganic materials for effective utilization in biomedical domains including dentistry, orthopedics, implantable medical devices and wound healing. The synergistic effect of ZnONPs hybrids with remarkable antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral property has been discussed. Finally, we highlight the future potential of ZnO-NPs based antimicrobial hybrid coatings for potential clinical translation.