Structural, optical and antibacterial properties of yttriumdoped ZnO nanoparticles

(Propriedades estruturais, ópticas e antibacterianas de nanopartículas de ZnO dopadas com ítrio)

Abstract

Yttrium-doped ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized by co-precipitation method to investigate structural, optical and antibacterial properties. X-ray diffraction analysis confirms hexagonal (wurtzite) structure with average crystallite size between 16 and 30 nm. Optical energy band gap decreaseswith increasing Y-doping concentration. ZnO nanoparticles were found to be highly effective against S. aureus and Y-doped ZnO nanoparticles against E. coli, B. subtilis and S. typhi. Undoped and Y-doped ZnO nanoparticles are good inorganic antimicrobial agents and can be synthesized by cost effective co-precipitation method.

Keywords:
nanoparticles; ZnO; coprecipitation; antibacterial properties