Ferric oxide quantum dots (FOQDs) for photovoltaic and biological applications: Synthesis and characterization

This work focuses on the synthesis of ferric oxide quantum dots (FOQDs) by simple precipitation method using iron precursor and a standard base for the photovoltaic applications. Morphological, structural, optical and electrical characterization were carried out to make sure that synthesized FOQDs are good for photovoltaic applications. FOQDs showed a wide optical band gap of 2.83 eV making it suitable for semiconductor applica-tions. The morphological, elemental determination and structural characterizations were analyzed by XRD, SEM -EDS and TEM-SAED respectively. These data were supported by XRD investigation. The antimicrobial activity of characterized FOQDs was further investigated against selected bacteria viz., Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae.