title: Ag nanoparticles-decorated ZnO nanorod array on a mechanical flexible substrate with enhanced optical and antimicrobial properties.
abstract: Heteronanostructured zinc oxide nanorod (ZnO NR) array are vertically grown on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) through a hydrothermal method followed by an in situ deposition of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) through a photoreduction process. The Ag-ZnO heterostructured nanorods on PDMS are measured with an average diameter of 160 nm and an average length of 2 μm. ZnO NRs measured by high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) shows highly crystalline with a lattice fringe of 0.255 nm, which corresponds to the (0002) planes in ZnO crystal lattice. The average diameter of the Ag NPs in situ deposited on the ZnO NRs is estimated at 22 ± 2 nm. As compared to the bare ZnO NRs, the heterostructured Ag-ZnO nanorod array shows enhanced ultraviolet (UV) absorption at 440 nm, and significant emission in the visible region (λem = 542 nm). In addition, the antimicrobial efficiency of Ag-ZnO heterostructured nanorod array shows obvious improvement as compared to bare ZnO nanorod array. The cytotoxicity of ZnO nanorod array with and without Ag NPs was studied by using 3 T3 mouse fibroblast cell line. No significant toxic effect is imposed on the cells.
authors: Department of Chemical & Biochemical Engineering, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario Canada N6A 5B9.
authors: Yi
authors: Y
authors: Chen
authors: Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario Canada N6A 5C1.
authors: Wai Hei
authors: WH
authors: Tse
authors: Department of Chemical & Biochemical Engineering, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario Canada N6A 5B9.
authors: Longyan
authors: L
authors: Chen
authors: Department of Chemical & Biochemical Engineering, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario Canada N6A 5B9 ; Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario Canada N6A 5C1.
authors: Jin
authors: J
authors: Zhang
keywords: Antimicrobial efficiency; Flexible substrate; Nanoparticles; Nanorod array; Photoluminescence