Iranian Journal Of Materials Science And Engineering (17350808)22(1)pp. 37-50
Nanomaterials have significantly transformed multiple scientific and technological fields due to their exceptional properties resulting from their quantum confinement effects and high surface-to-volume ratios. Among these materials, zinc oxide (ZnO) and titanium dioxide (TiO 2) nanoparticles have attracted considerable interest because of their diverse applications. In this study, TiO2-ZnO nanocomposites were synthesized using varying calcination times of 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, and 3 hours. Characterization of fabricated samples through X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDXS) confirmed the successful fabrication of the nanocomposites. In this regard, XRD analysis revealed anatase TiO2 and hexagonal wurtzite ZnO phases. Raman spectroscopy also supported these findings, identifying characteristic peaks of both TiO2 and ZnO. The calcination time had a minimal effect on the crystal structures and the nanocomposites' morphology, which gave rise to its negligible impact on the samples' optical properties and biological activities. Optical properties assessed using UV-visible and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy showed consistent band gap absorption and emission profiles across all samples, among which the nanocomposite calcined for 1 hour exhibited the best optical properties. The sample prepared at 1 hour showed the most favorable optical properties and significant antibacterial, antifungal, and cytotoxic activities, making it suitable for various applications. In this regard, more than 99.9% reduction occurred in the number of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, and Candida albicans fungus using TiO2-ZnO nanocomposite. Besides, adding 500 µg/ml of nanocomposite decreased the cell viability to 34.47%, which signifies its high cytotoxicity activity. © 2025, Iran University of Science and Technology. All rights reserved.
