Synthesis, characterization, and applications with the manifestation of antifungal activity and seed germination properties of nickel doped zinc oxide nano platform by biochemical contrivance

In the recent era, nanotechnology, a rapidly emerging field, has been explored as the most studied field worldwide. The goal of this study is to use neem leaves extract as an effective 'reducing agent' and 'stabilizing agent' in the green synthesis of bio-medically important Zn1-XNiXO (X = 0.00, 0.04, 0.08, 0.12) nanoparticles. The molar concentrations of nickel nitrate and zinc nitrate are varied to produce nickel-doped ZnO nanoparticles. Color change is the first indicator of nanoparticle formation during this biosynthesis. The hexagonal wurtzite structure with good crystallinity is confirmed by X-ray diffraction. FTIR analysis reveals the fact that the Zn-O stretching vibration shifts with the introduction of impurities into the ZnO matrix. UV-Vis spectra show the typical surface plasma resonance around 370 nm and the hydrodynamic diameter is larger than the size calculated from the XRD value, according to DLS. The main finding of this study is that Ni0.12Zn0.88O has a strong antifungal activity against and a significant growth rate after treating wheat seeds with biologically synthesized Ni0.12Zn0.88O nanoparticles.