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Application of Box–Behnken design to optimize a sol-gel synthesis method for Ag and Zn doped CuO nanoparticles with antibacterial and photocatalytic activity

  • Original Paper: Nano-structured materials (particles, fibers, colloids, composites, etc.)
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Abstract

Inorganic nanomaterials with antibacterial and photocatalytic properties have gained considerable attention according to potential for biomedical and environmental applications. The aim of the present study was to prepare silver and zinc doped copper oxide nanoparticles with maximum antibacterial and photocatalytic activity. Response surface methodology using Box–Behnken design was employed for optimizing a sol-gel method according to Ag and Zn content and calcination temperature of the nanomaterials. Time-kill profiles against S. aureus and E. coli and photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue under UV-C irradiation were determined for the fifteen synthesized materials; and copper oxide nanoparticles containing 2% w/w silver and zinc atoms and calcined at 375 °C were found as the optimum material. XRD, SEM-EDX and TEM analyses showed formation of monoclinic phase of copper oxide nanoparticles with approximate diameter of 50 nm. They showed fast and efficient antibacterial and photocatalytic activity, resulted from a synergistic effect between their inorganic constituents.

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Highlights

  • Sol–gel synthesis method was applied for synthesis of Ag and Zn-doped CuO nanoparticles.

  • Sol–gel method was optimized according to ratio of precursors and calcination temperature.

  • Ag–Zn-doped CuO NPs were characterized using XRD, SED-EDX, TEM and DRS.

  • Obtained Ag–Zn-doped CuO NPs showed potent antibacterial and photocatalytic activity.

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Author contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by SP, RM and NB. The first draft of the manuscript was written by SP and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Funding

This work was supported by Vice-chancellor for Research and Technology, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, under [grant number 9704192144].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran

    Shabnam Pourmoslemi, Negar Bayati & Reza Mahjub

Authors
  1. Shabnam Pourmoslemi
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  2. Negar Bayati
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  3. Reza Mahjub
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Correspondence to Shabnam Pourmoslemi.

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Pourmoslemi, S., Bayati, N. & Mahjub, R. Application of Box–Behnken design to optimize a sol-gel synthesis method for Ag and Zn doped CuO nanoparticles with antibacterial and photocatalytic activity. J Sol-Gel Sci Technol 104, 319–329 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-022-05946-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-022-05946-2

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