Optical properties, singlet oxygen, and free radical production ability with different UV irradiations and antimicrobial inhibitors against various bacterial species of ZnO: Eu nanoparticles

Abstract

In this study, ZnO: Eu nanoparticles were produced by the co-precipitation method. In this context, X-ray diffraction (XRD) was analyzed to characterized the produced nanoparticles. Moreover, the approximate crystallite size of the nanoparticles was calculated using Scherrer’s formula and Williamson-Hall’s equation of 27 nm with a strain of 0.002. The crystalline size and the microstructure of ZnO: Eu nanoparticles were obtained by the scanning electron microscope (SEM) and its results were consistent with the analysis of (XRD). The optical properties of the prepared nanostructure were studied by applying photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL), which was observed in the spectrum obtained with an excitation wavelength of 325 nm in the ultraviolet range and visible zone of the peaks. The energy band gap was reached through ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy for ZnO: Eu nanoparticles. The connection between the produced nanostructure elements was defined by the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Methylene blue and anthracene reagents were used to detect the hydroxyl radical and singlet oxygen. The reduction in anthracene and methylene blue absorption emphasizes the production of singlet oxygen and radical hydroxyl. ZnO: Eu nanoparticles were used as an antimicrobial inhibitor against various bacterial species. Taken together, our results confirmed that the growth of bacteria can be inhibited by ZnO: Eu nanoparticles . The maximum diameter of the halo was not increased, due to the effect of 26 mm nanoparticles that is related to P.aeruginosa bacteria.