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Investigations of Ag-ZnO nanosheets for improved photocatalytic performance and antimicrobial activity

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Abstract

ZnO is promising material for environmental remediation technology. To tune the material properties, Ag was added into the ZnO lattice. Herein, we report the hydrothermal synthesis of Ag-ZnO for its profound photocatalytic and antimicrobial action. The material was characterized with XRD, FESEM, EDX, and FTIR for the study of its crystal structure, morphology, elemental composition, and the availability of functional groups on the surface of the material, respectively. The optical characteristics of Ag-ZnO were investigated using UV–Visible spectroscopy and PL spectroscopy. Efficient photocatalytic degradation was performed by methylene blue. The photocatalytic MB removal was investigated over different pH values, followed by its cyclic stability. Further the material was tested for its antimicrobial activity. The antimicrobial activity was reported for methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), B. subtilis, S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, E. coli, S. thyphi, A. flavus, and A. niger. The outcomes suggest that Ag-ZnO can be used for large-scale disinfecting purposes.

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Funding

We are thankful to Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan for providing financial support for this research work under National Research Project for Universities No. 8421/Punjab/NRPU/R&D/HEC/2017.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Eco-Materials and Sustainable Technology (LEMST), Natural Sciences and Humanities Department, New Campus, UET, Lahore, 54890, Pakistan

    Zulfiqar Ali, Zersh Fatima, Iqra Fareed, Muhammad Danish Khan, Faisal Nawaz, Sumera Mehboob & Masood ul Hassan Farooq

  2. Department of Physics, University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, 54890, Pakistan

    Iqra Fareed, Muhammad Danish Khan & Muhammad Faran Yunas

  3. Department of Chemistry, University of Sahiwal, Sahiwal, 57470, Pakistan

    Hajira Rehman

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  1. Zulfiqar Ali
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  2. Zersh Fatima
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  3. Iqra Fareed
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  4. Muhammad Danish Khan
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All authors contributed equally.

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Correspondence to Masood ul Hassan Farooq.

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Ali, Z., Fatima, Z., Fareed, I. et al. Investigations of Ag-ZnO nanosheets for improved photocatalytic performance and antimicrobial activity. MRS Advances (2024). https://doi.org/10.1557/s43580-024-00869-2

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