Investigating the Effect of Post Annealing on Antibacterial Activity of Zno thin Films Prepared by Modified Silar Technique

Abstract

The modified Successive Ionic Layer Adsorption and Reaction (SILAR) technique was used to create thin films of zinc oxide (ZnO). The produced ZnO films' optical, structural, and antibacterial characteristics were examined in relation to their annealing temperature, which ranged from 250°C to 450°C. ZnO is one of the promising materials that have no negative impacts on human health when compared to other metals and metal oxide. Utilizing photoluminescence and UV-visible spectroscopy, optical characteristics were investigated. When compared to the bulk value, optical absorption spectra showed a blue shift, and PL tests confirmed the presence of interstitial Zn+ ion defects and oxygen ion vacancies in the produced ZnO thin films. The creation of the hexagonal phase of ZnO was shown by the X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) pattern, and it was discovered that the intensity of the film increased with an increase in annealing temperature. Images taken using a field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) demonstrate the substrate's presence throughout with a structure like a flower and a pinhole-free coating. Antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli (E.coli) was highly dependent on the presence of interstitial Zn+ ions and for Staphylococcus aureus(S.aureus) it was dependent on oxygen vacancy in the films.