Enhanced photocatalytic and antimicrobial properties of undoped and aluminum-doped zinc oxide nanosheets synthesized via novel laser-assisted chemical bath technique

The urgency of antibiotic resistance has been recognized, necessitating prompt, and focused efforts from the scientific community. Innovative alternatives, such as nanoparticles and photocatalytic agents, have been investigated to confront drug-resistant microbes. As an antimicrobial and photocatalytic agent, zinc oxide (ZnO) has demonstrated considerable promise. This study utilized a cutting-edge method called laser-assisted chemical bath synthesis (LACBS) to create undoped and Al-doped ZnO nanostructures without a catalyst. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV–Vis spectrophotometry, and Fourier-transform infrared spectra (FTIR) were used to verify the structural and optical properties of the prepared nanostructures. The influence of doping concentration was evaluated by producing samples with doping concentrations of 1%, 2%, and 3%, and they were assessed employing diverse analytical techniques. It was found that ZnO exhibited the most pronounced antimicrobial activity: Al (3%) nanosheets, which can be attributed to their extensive surface area and the photocatalytic activity induced by LACBS. These materials displayed exceptional performance in the degradation of methylene orange. The integration of aluminum was observed to expedite interfacial charge transfer processes and diminish recombination, thereby enhancing the photocatalytic activity of the ZnO nanosheets. These findings emphasize the potential of aluminum-doped zinc oxide nanosheets as wide-ranging microbicides and disinfectants, underlining their significance in addressing drug-resistant microbes. Adopting such sophisticated materials could pave the way for creating potent antibacterial agents capable of tackling the escalating issue of antibiotic resistance. Subsequent research ought to concentrate on assessing the impact of augmented doping levels on the investigated variables.