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.