Abstract

Multifunctional Zn<inf>1-x</inf>La<inf>x</inf>O and Zn<inf>1-x</inf>Mg <inf>x</inf>O nanostructures were successfully synthesized through a sol-gel method. Thecrystal structure, morphology, specific surface area and thermal behavior were investigated by X-ray diffractometer (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) and a thermogravimetric and differential thermal analyzer (TG-DTA), respectively. The optical properties were determined with a UV-vis spectrophotometer and a photoluminescent spectrometer. The crystallite size decreased when the La and Mg concentrations increased to x=0.05. The Zn <inf>0.9</inf>Mg<inf>0.1</inf>O nanostructure showed the widest E<inf>g</inf> value of 3.30 eV. The Zn<inf>0.95</inf> Mg<inf>0.05</inf>O nanostructure exhibited the highest efficiency for the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB)with a rate constant (k) of 0.0440 min^-1. Both La- and Mg-doped ZnO nanostructures inhibited Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and to a less extent Escherichia coli (E. coli). © 2013 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved.