Research Information System
International Journal of Applied Ceramic Technology, vol.23, no.1, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
Ti-doped ZnO films were synthesized via the sol-gel dip-coating method with a fixed Ti:Zn molar ratio of 0.2:1 to investigate their structural, optical, and antimicrobial properties. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed the hexagonal wurtzite ZnO structure with a (002) preferred orientation, while scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy revealed compact nanostructures with uniform grain distribution. Raman spectroscopy displayed the characteristic E2(high) mode associated with crystal quality, along with red shifts in the A1(longitudinal optical) and 2LA modes, indicating lattice deformation induced by Ti incorporation. The prism coupler yielded a film thickness of approximately 1 µm and a refractive index of 1.96. The porosity was estimated as 13.4% using optical data and 14.8% via SEM-based ImageJ analysis. Ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy revealed high transparency in the visible range (>95%) and strong UV absorption, with a reduced optical band gap of 3.17 eV, suggesting bandgap narrowing due to defect formation and lattice strain. Antimicrobial activity tests showed a reduction of up to 99.96% of Acinetobacter baumannii and remarkable activity against other strains, including Candida parapsilosis (96.8%) and Enterococcus faecalis (83%) after UV light exposure. Although Staphylococcus aureus showed lower sensitivity (∼43%), the overall results indicate that Ti-doped ZnO films are promising candidates for multifunctional applications requiring high optical quality and effective antimicrobial surface activity.