Preparation and characterization of Ni-doped ZnO particles via a bioassisted process

Ni-doped ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) were successfully prepared by bioassisted synthesis technique in the template of silk-fibroin (SF) peptide at room temperature. The dopant Ni ions were incorporated into the wurtzite structure of ZnO crystal. Photoluminescence results of Ni-doped ZnO particles indicated a strong emission band at 410 nm. The field dependence of magnetization measured at room temperature exhibited the good ferromagnetic properties. Bacteriological tests revealed that the prepared Ni-doped ZnO particles with SF peptide had nontoxicity for Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli.