Design and characterization of sol-gel derived boron oxide–aluminum oxide nanostructured coatings with antimicrobial functionality
MATERIALS CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS, cilt.369, sa.133106, ss.1-10, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 369 Sayı: 133106
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1016/j.matchemphys.2026.133106
- Dergi Adı: MATERIALS CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO), Engineering Source (EBSCO), Scopus, Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Chemical Abstracts Core, Chimica, Compendex, INSPEC
- Sayfa Sayıları: ss.1-10
- Eskişehir Osmangazi Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Boron oxide-aluminum oxide (BAl) nanostructures were fabricated in both nanoparticulate and thin-film forms via sol-gel synthesis followed by spin-assisted deposition. Thin films were produced either by direct coating of sol-derived precursors (B1) or by using a 1% (w/v) dispersion of pre-synthesized BAl nanopowders in 70% (v/v) ethanol (B2). Physicochemical characterization was performed using standard analytical techniques, and antimicrobial activity was evaluated against various Gram-positive and -negative pathogen strains. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed crystalline domains in the BAl nanoparticles (NPs), with reflections indexed to the (111), (213), and (214) planes and an average apparent crystallite size of 46 nm. B2 thin films exhibited partial crystallinity with crystallite sizes of 211.7 nm and 16.0 nm, whereas B1 films were predominantly amorphous. Structural analysis further indicated that the nanoparticulate system possessed higher defect density and lattice strain compared to the more ordered domains in thin films. SEM observations revealed irregular nanoparticle morphology and uniform nanoscale coatings, while water contact angle measurements showed distinct surface properties (48.24° for B1 thin films and 13.68° for B2 thin films). Both coating systems exhibited significant antimicrobial activity, producing inhibition zones of 1.75–3.63 mm and substantial microbial reductions after 2 h of direct contact, with reductions of up to more than 90% depending on the tested microorganism and coating type. The novelty of this study lies in the systematic comparison of sol-derived and nanoparticle-derived BAl thin films, establishing clear relationships between the fabrication route, structural characteristics, surface properties, and antimicrobial performance.