Fe-Doped ZnO Nanoparticles: Structural, Morphological, Antimicrobial and Photocatalytic Characterization

Oxide semiconductors have attracted increasing interest due to their potential in solving environmental problems. ZnO-based nanoparticles (NPs) are among the most investigated for efficient disinfection and microbial control.Iron-doped zinc oxide nanoparticles (Fe:ZnO NPs) were successfully fabricated through precipitation method at low temperature followed by thermal treatment. The obtained Fe:ZnO NPs were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and ultraviolet-visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy. The effect of iron content on structural, morphological, antimicrobial and photocatalytic properties was investigated and discussed.The photocatalytic activity of the nanoparticles was tested by degradation of methylene blue (MB) solution under UV light for 60 min irradiation. The antibacterial activity was determined by paper disc method on Mueller-Hinton agar against the Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli (E. coli) and the Gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and compared to that of the undoped ZnO NPs. Consistent improvement on the photocatalytic and antimicrobial activity of Fe-doped ZnO nanoparticles was noticed.