Preparation of a novel magnesium oxide nanofilm of honeycomb-like structure and investigation of its properties

•Novel magnesium oxide nanofilm of honeycomb-like structure was prepared for the first time.•Formation process and mechanism of the nanofilm was derived.•The nanofilm has antimicrobial property.•The nanofilm has property of high temperature resistance.

A novel magnesium oxide nanofilm of honeycomb-like structure was prepared for the first time. The nanofilm was fabricated via sol-gel method and was characterized by Fourier infrared absorption spectra, scanning electron microscope, ellipsometer, X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive spectrometer, atomic absorption spectrum, surface area analyser and membrane density detector. The obtained nanofilm sample is single-phase, cubic in crystal structure, atomic ratio of O to Mg is approximate 3:1, the multipoint BET specific surface area is 5.2 m2/g and the density is 3.16 g/cm3. The thickness of the nanofilm is about 65 nm. In view of the above, we derived the formation process and mechanism of the nanofilm, and proposed that the nanofilm would be made from cuboid units. The cuboid units should be connected one another by adsorption force. Moreover, the antimicrobial property and high temperature resistance of the nanofilm were investigated. The results showed that the nanofilm has well antibacterial effect on Staphylococcus aureus and could withstand high temperature at nearly 2000 °C. This would provide a reference to improve the existing antibacterial and refractory materials.

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