OPTICAL, PHOTOCATALYTIC AND ANTIBACTERIAL PROPERTIES OF ZINC OXIDE NANOPARTICLES OBTAINED BY A SOLVOTHERMAL METHOD

Nanocrystalline ZnO powder was prepared by solvothermal method from 1-buthanol at boiling point. The sample was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermal analysis (TG-DSC), UV-Vis and fluorescence spectra (PL). ZnO is one of the well-known photocatalysts along TiO2. In each report, it is tested against one pollutant model, and literature data is abundant, but with no possible comparison when different colorants are used. The aim of present study is to compare the photocatalytic properties of ZnO nanoparticles against different colorants used as models for organic pollutants. In this respect, we have used methyl orange, methylene blue, rhodamine B and gentian violet. The strongest photocatalytic activity was found against gentian violet and methyl orange. The antibacterial activity of ZnO nanoparticles was also tested against Gram-negative and Gram-positive strains Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Salmonella sp. The best activity was found against Escherichia coli.