Affiliations: [a] Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tabriz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran
| [b] Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ardabil Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ardabil, Iran
| [c] Department of Chemistry, Tabriz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: Arezoo Nejaei, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tabriz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran and Ebrahim Fataei, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Islamic
Azad University, Basij Sq., Ardabil, Iran. Tel.: +98 9143549400, Fax: +98 4533727799; E-mails: eafataei@gmail.com; eb.fataei@iau.ac.ir. academic degree: Full Professor
Abstract: The current feasibility study deals with the elimination of Escherichia coli (gram-negative) and Staphylococcus aureus (gram-positive) bacterial strains isolated from swimming pools using zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs) doped with copper (Cu2+) ions (CuX%/ZnO NPs) and co-doped with copper (Cu2+) and silver (Ag+) ions (AgX%/CuY%/ZnO NPs) synthesized by sol-gel method. Antibacterial activity was evaluated by Agar well diffusion assay. As-produced NPs were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Field emission-scanning electron microscopy, Energy Dispersive X-Ray and Transmission electron microscopy techniques. The results showed that the size of the co-doped NPs was smaller than that of mono-doped NPs. Meanwhile, co-doped Ag5%/Cu5%/ZnO NPs had the maximum bactericidal activity, and the destructive effect on Gram-positive bacteria was greater than that on Gram-negative bacteria. The lowest effective nanoparticle concentrations were 0.1 and 0.05 g/mL. The main bactericidal mechanism, in addition to the size of co-doped NPs, was due to the formation of reactive oxygen species, so that the destruction of the bacterial cell wall and finally death occurred through the radicals formed.
Keywords: Zinc oxide nanoparticle, sol-gel, doped and co-doped nanoparticle, photocatalytic activity, antibacterial activity, Agar well diffusion
