Ternary zinc-tin-oxide nanoparticles modified by magnesium ions as a visible-light-active photocatalyst with highly strong antibacterial activity.

Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), especially nosocomial infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria, are one of the most pressing health problems in all societies. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop novel disinfection methods as alternatives to antibiotics to act against multidrug-resistant bacterial strains. Even though the photocatalytic disinfection phenomenon has been considered as a viable alternative compared to other proposed solutions, there is still a need to develop innovative functional materials for improving its efficacy under visible light to have a comparable impact to UV radiation.

Unraveling the Effects of Strain-Induced Defect Engineering on the Visible-Light-Driven Photodynamic Performance of ZnSnO Nanoparticles Modified by Larger Barium Cations.

Waterborne infections caused by pathogenic microorganisms represent serious health risks for humans. Ternary zinc-tin oxide nanoparticles have great potential as a cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and efficient candidate for waterborne infections; however, their photocatalytic and antibacterial effects are quite limited due to insufficient visible light absorption and rapid electron-hole recombination. Herein, barium-doped zinc stannate (Ba@ZTO) nanoparticles were synthesized by the hydrothermal method and used for the first time not only as antibacterial agents to prevent the spread of the harmful bacteria and but also as photocatalysts to degrade the organic pollutant rhodamine B.