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Spray pyrolysis-assisted fabrication of Eu-doped ZnO thin films for antibacterial activities under visible light irradiation

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Abstract

This study reports the fabrication and characterization of zinc oxide (ZnO) and europium-doped ZnO (Eu-doped ZnO) films and their antibacterial activities. The spray pyrolysis method was used to synthesize ZnO and 1, 2, 3, and 4% Eu-doped ZnO thin films on the glass substrate. The fabricated Eu-ZnO thin films were characterized using x-ray diffraction, Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy, UV–vis spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. These characterization techniques confirm the successful fabrications of the ZnO and Eu-doped ZnO thin films. It was found that the increase in Eu concentration affects the lattice parameters and the crystallite size without changing the ZnO wurtzite structure. Fabricated ZnO and Eu-doped ZnO films were tested for antibacterial activities against Escherichia coli (E. coli, ATCC 25,922) under visible light irradiation. This is the first antibacterial study of the Eu-ZnO films obtained by the spray pyrolysis method. Improved antibacterial activities were found against E. coli by Eu-doped ZnO films under visible light irradiation.

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Acknowledgements

This work is a part of PRFU project N B00L02UN460120220001 supported by Belhadj Bouchaib Ain-Temouchenet University and of Ministry of Research and Innovation, Core Program, Project PN19-35 02 03, Algeria.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Materials Sciences and Applications (LSMA), Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of AinTemouchent Belhadj Bouchaib, AinTemouchent, Algeria

    Abdelkader Nebatti Ech-Chergui & Farid Bennabi

  2. Laboratory of Theory and Simulation of Materials, Faculty of Exact and Applied Sciences, University of Oran1 Ahmed Ben Bella, Oran, Algeria

    Ali Sadek Kadari, Kouider Driss-Khodja & Bouhalouane Amrani

  3. Chemical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Jalan Tungku Link, Gadong, BE 1410, Brunei Darussalam

    Mohammad Mansoob Khan

  4. National Institute for Research and Development of Isotopic and Molecular Technologies, Donat Street 67-103, 400293, Cluj-Napoca-Napoca, Romania

    Adriana Popad, Cristian Leostean, Dan Silipas & Lucian Barbu-Tudoran

  5. Science and Technology Department, Ghardaia University, Ghardaia, Algeria

    Yasmina Khane

  6. Laboratory of Materials (LABMAT), National Polytechnique School (ENP) of Oran, BP 1523 Oran Mnaouar, Oran, Algeria

    M’hamed Guezzoul

  7. Platform of Physico-Chemical Analysis, PTAPC-Laghouat-CRAPC), Laghouat, Algeria

    Zoukel Abdelhalim

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  1. Abdelkader Nebatti Ech-Chergui
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Contributions

ASK: Experiments, films deposition, and writing, ANE-C: Conceptualizing and writing, MMK: Conceptualizing and writing, AP: SEM and EDX analysis and writing, YK: Antibacterial activity analysis and writing, CL: FT-IR analysis, DS: XRD analysis. LB-T: SEM and EDX analysis, MG: XPS analysis and writing, AZ: spectroscopy analysis, KD-K: Formal analysis and investigation, BA: Supervisor.

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Correspondence to Abdelkader Nebatti Ech-Chergui or Mohammad Mansoob Khan.

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Ech-Chergui, A.N., Kadari, A.S., Khan, M.M. et al. Spray pyrolysis-assisted fabrication of Eu-doped ZnO thin films for antibacterial activities under visible light irradiation. Chem. Pap. 77, 1047–1058 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11696-022-02543-z

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