Enhanced photocatalytic and antibacterial activities of sol-gel synthesized ZnO and Ag-ZnO

摘要

Nanocrystalline ZnO and Ag-ZnO (0.1 at%) have been synthesized by sol-gel method and characterized by X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray spectrum, scanning electron micrographs and UV-vis diffuse reflectance, photoluminescence and electrochemical impedance spectra. Doping ZnO with Ag reduces the average crystal size, sharpens the band gap absorption and decreases the charge-transfer resistance. The bactericidal and photocatalytic activities of sol-gel synthesized ZnO, tested, respectively, with Escherichia coli and cyanide ion, are larger than those of commercial ZnO nanoparticles. Ag doping by sol-gel method enhances the antibacterial and photocatalytic activities; the latter has been tested using methylene blue, methyl orange and rhodamine B.