Structural, optical and antibacterial activity of pure and co-doped (Fe & Ni) tin oxide nanoparticles

[Display omitted] •Structural, compositional and morphological analysis. of transition metals (Fe & Ni) doped tin oxide was studied.•Optical studies of pure and transition metals tin oxide doped exhibit blue and redshift.•Magnetic studies of pure and transition metals (Fe & Ni) doped tin oxide have a high coercivity and retentivity due to indirect exchange interaction and electrons trapped in the oxygen vacancies.•Pure and transition metals doped tin oxide exhibits good antimicrobial activities. In this investigation, ferric (Fe) and nickel (Ni) co-doped tin oxide (SnO2) nanoparticles structural, optical, morphological, and antibacterial characteristics were synthesised, characterised, and examined. By employing SnCl2·2H2O and the transition metal precursors FeCl3 and NiCl2·6H2O with various Fe/Ni molar ratios, thermal annealing was carried out at a high temperature (700 °C). X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–Visible spectroscopy, Photoluminescence (PL), FT-IR, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray techniques (EDX) were used to examine the materials' structural, chemical, optical, morphological, and anti-microbial capabilities. The average particle size of pure and co-doped SnO2 nanoparticles was determined to be around 52 nm and 15 nm, and SnO2 crystallites were observed to present tetragonal rutile structure with space group P42/mmm (No.136). Metal ions were replaced in the Sn lattice, as shown by Fe and Ni co-doped SnO2 nanoparticles. Pure and co-doped samples have capsule and sphere-like features in their SEM morphology. Using UV–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, the optical property was examined, and it was observed that the band gaps for pure and co-doped SnO2 were 3.73 eV and 3.53 eV, respectively. The functional groups and incorporation of Fe and Ni in the prepared powder were also validated by FT-IR and EDX studies. By utilising the agar well diffusion technique and Nutrient agar, the antibacterial properties of pure, Ni-Fe co-doped SnO2 nanoparticles annealed at 700 °C were assessed. They were evaluated against various Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus pheumoniae) and Gram-negative bacteria (Shigella dysenteria). The zone of incubation was found against the Gram +Ve and Gram −Ve bacterial strains.