Improvement of the Antibacterial Activity of Nanocrystalline Zinc Oxide by Doping Mg (II) or Sb (III)

Nanosize‐doped ZnO crystallines were prepared using an improved sol–gel method. According to TEM and XRD analysis, an exotic doping altered the grain size and crystal structure. Antibacterial experiments were carried out on Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus. Saccharomyces and Aspergillus niger , and the antibacterial potencies of Sb‐doped ZnO were found to be 93.4%, 95.9%, 65.4%, and 18.2%, while those of nondoped ZnO were 65.4%, 70.2%, 36.2%, and 8.2%. Their potencies were stronger on a prokaryote than on a eukaryote. The irradiation enhanced the potency of Sb‐doped ZnO to 93.4% from 12% in the dark. Nanocrystals that were doped at 1:10 showed excellent potencies, being ideal antibacterial agents for applications.