Synthesis and characterization of Ag-doped ZnO nanostructures and an assessment on their enhanced bacterial inhibition and photocatalytic degradation

Abstract

In this study, zinc oxide (ZnO) and silver-doped ZnO nanoparticles with varying silver concentrations (1, 3, 5, and 7 mol%) were synthesized using a simple and cost-effective sol–gel method. The prepared nanoparticles were characterized in terms of their optical, structural, and morphological properties using ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The study revealed that band gap decreases and particle size increases with increasing Ag content. The hexagonal wurtzite crystalline structure of ZnO and Ag-doped ZnO is confirmed by XRD. The photocatalytic activity of the synthesized nanoparticles toward methylene blue degradation, along with their antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and antifungal activity against Candida albicans, was investigated.