Al-ions effect on structural, optical, antibacterial, and photocatalytic activities of ZnO nanostructures

In this work, Pure and aluminum doped zinc oxide nanostructures were successfully synthesized through a well-established hydrothermal method. The hexagonal wurtzite structure, and nano porous shape for Al dopant in ZnO were confirmed via XRD and SEM analysis. The reduction in energy band gap (3.40 to 3.19 eV) for Al dopant samples and enhancement in inhibition zones (7 mm-17 mm) for pure and Al-doped ZnO were recorded. The photocatalytic activity of Al doped ZnO was shown to be several times more efficient than in prior studies. The enhancement in these parameters suggest that these materials are good candidates for biomedical and optoelectronic applications.