Synthesis of TiO۲-ZnO Nanocomposites and Evaluation of their Antibacterial and Antifungal Activities: Effect of Calcination Time

Nanomaterials have significantly transformed multiple scientific and technological fields due to their exceptional properties, which result from their quantum confinement effects and high surface-to-volume ratios. Among these materials, zinc oxide (ZnO) and titanium dioxide (TiO۲) nanoparticles have attracted considerable interest because of their diverse applications.In this study, TiO۲-ZnO nanocomposites were synthesized using varying calcination times of ۱, ۱.۵, ۲, ۲.۵, and ۳ hours. Characterization of fabricated samples through X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDXS) confirmed the successful fabrication of the nanocomposites. In this regard, XRD analysis revealed anatase TiO۲ and hexagonal wurtzite ZnO phases. Raman spectroscopy also supported these findings, identifying characteristic peaks of both TiO۲ and ZnO.The calcination time had a minimal effect on the crystal structures and also morphology of the nanocomposites, which gave rise to its negligible impact on optical properties and biological activities of the samples. Optical properties assessed by means of UV-visible and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy showed consistent band gap absorption and emission profiles across all samples, among which the nanocomposite calcined for ۱ hour exhibited the best optical properties. The sample prepared at ۱ hour not only showed the most favorable optical properties, but also demonstrated significant antibacterial, antifungal, and cytotoxic activities, which make it suitable for various applications. In this regard, a reduction of more than ۹۹.۹% occurred in the number of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria and also Candida albicans fungus by using TiO۲-ZnO nanocomposite. Besides, addition of ۵۰۰ µg/mL of nanocomposite decreased the cell viability to ۳۴.۴۷%, which signifies its high cytotoxicity activity.

کلیدواژه ها:

TiO۲-ZnO nanocomposite ، Calcination time ، Zinc oxide ، Titanium dioxide ، Antibacterial activities