Influence of a novel triple doping (Ag+Mn+F) on the magnetic and antibacterial properties of ZnO nanopowders

In the present study, Ag+Mn and Ag+Mn+F doped ZnO nanopowders were synthesized using a combustion method and their magnetic, structural, surface morphological and antibacterial properties were studied. The magnetic studies reveal that the doped ZnO nanopowders exhibit superparamagnetic behavior. Surface morphological studies show that the grain size of the undoped ZnO is about 250 nm and the size reduces by one order of magnitude (from 250 nm to 23 nm) after doping. The reason for this drastic decrease in the grain size and crystallite size is explained on the basis of Zener Pinning Effect. The antibacterial efficiency of the synthesized nanopowders is tested against two different bacteria viz. Escherichia Coli and Klebsiella Oxytoca and it is found that the antibacterial efficiency of ZnO nanopowder increases remarkably after multiple doping. All the doped and undoped nanopowders exhibit better efficiency against K. oxytoca than E. coli. The PL results confirm the presence of certain intrinsic and extrinsic defects in the crystalline structure.