Effect of High-Purity Ag@ ZnO Core Shell Nanoparticles Synthesized by Pulse Laser Ablation Technique: Evaluation of Skin Cancer Cells

Recent studies indicate that nanocomposites composed of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) and zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) have effective anti-skin cancer activity. However, the methods for manufacturing these nanocomposites often require cumbersome laboratory conditions. This study presents a simple and uncomplicated technique for manufacturing nanocomposites with a core and a shell of silver as the core and ZnO as the shell, using pulsed laser ablation in liquid (PLAL). This technique deals with solid targets that are easy to obtain with a high degree of purity, which helps to reduce the impurities of the nanocomposites that can negatively or positively affect the interactions with skin cancer cells and thus observe the full actual effect of the ZnO nanoparticle formulation. The optical properties were determined using UV–Vis spectroscopy. The crystal structure was identified using X-ray diffraction (XRD). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed that the nanocomposite has a spherical or sub-spherical shape with a size ranging from 45 to 50 nm. The sample surface and compositions were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The sample topography was described as smooth by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Zeta potential analysis indicated a moderate electrostatic equilibrium at − 15.2 mV. Thus, the anti-skin cancer activity of the pure nanocomposite was confirmed by MTT assay.