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Hexagonal wurtzite crystal structured zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) having flower-like morphology are synthesized by a simple wet chemical method. The high purity ZnO NPs is further used to prepare maleic anhydride (MA) grafted ABS [MA-g-ABS] polymer nanocomposites via melt mixing technique. Polyethylene-co-vinyl acetate (EVA) has been added to the matrix as a toughening agent. The degree of MA grafting in MA-g-ABS was calculated by a back-titration method. The composites are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR). The ZnO content in the polymer nanocomposite is optimized by evaluating the modified ABS's physicochemical, thermal, and anti-bacterial properties. The loading of ZnO NPs increased the tensile and flexural strength of the samples. However, the impact strength is significantly reduced, and thermal stability remained intact. The incorporation of ZnO NPs imparts the anti-bacterial activity to the MA-g-ABS matrix against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), which promises it as a good candidate for anti-bacterial thermoplastic engineering materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]