Nickel Oxide Nanoparticle based Thin Film as an Antibacterial and Self-Cleaning Glass

Abstract

Nickel oxide nanoparticles, synthesized from microalgal specie, Dictyosphearium were characterized thoroughly and a nearly transparent thin film of Nickel oxide nanoparticle was synthesized by spin coating for combined applications of self-cleaning and antibacterial. The self cleaning and antibacterial coatings can be applied on glass surfaces on clinical settings which account for major percentage of indirect-contact transmissions. Nosocomial infections are a leading cause of many post-hospitalization deaths worldwide accounting to a total of 99000 deaths a year as per Centre for Disease Control and Prevention report and the need of the time is to reduce the rate of nosocomial diseases. Various methods are being adopted in this line and Nano coatings are one of them. In present study, for working solution, we used bio-inspired Nickel oxide Nanoparticles, synthesized in lab and made their emulsion in a mixture of Tetrahydrofuran and deionized water. Thin film of nickel oxide was deposited on soda lime glass (SLG) to evaluate the self-cleaning and antibacterial properties. Scanning electron micrographs show nanoparticles size range from 20 to 90nm with good X-Ray Diffraction results confirmed the presence of Nickel oxide in the thin film produced by spin coating. Atomic force microscopy images showed maximum surface coverage and enhanced roughness by nanoparticles deposited as a result of spin coating. Contact angle of the prepared thin film shows maximum hydrophilicity in range closer to the criteria of superhydrophilicity, this is due to enhanced roughness imparted to the surface due to uniform nature of coating. The self-cleaning ability of the thin film coated glass were tested by performing antifogging, self-cleaning using dirt model and rainfall spraying assays. For antibacterial aspect, the coating had been tested through antibacterial and anti-biofilm Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Nosocomial infections are the infection caused by bacteria or viruses inhabiting hospitals and other clinical settings. Of the total 1.7 million Hospital acquired infections every year, two-third of them is due to gram-negative infections. This nickel oxide-based coating provides a cost effective and new alternative by giving two properties of self-cleaning and antibacterial in a single assembly and thin film prepared by spin coating can be employed as an efficient coating on glass for self-cleaning properties.