Superior Antibacterial Activity From Hydrothermally Synthesized Ni‐Doped VS ₄ Nanostructure

ABSTRACT

The impact of bacteria on the living body is hazardous. The activity of nanomaterials is superior to that of their bulk counterparts for studying antibacterial effects. Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are emerging materials in the 21st century. In this report, Ni‐doped VS ₄ is successfully prepared via an environmentally friendly hydrothermal approach (24 h) at varying nickel concentrations. PXRD pattern confirms the formation of monolinic VS ₄ phase. FESEM images confirm the nanosheet‐like surface morphology. EDX confirms the presence and uniform distribution of elements. The transmission electron microscopy image shows the rod‐like structure. The HRTEM image confirms the presence of the (011) plane. The SAED pattern also confirms the presence of crystallographic planes that match those observed in the XRD data. To determine linear optical properties such as the band gap and refractive index, UV–vis–NIR spectroscopy is performed. The material's band gap ranges from 3.5 to 3.97 eV. The antibacterial effect of the VS ₄ nickel‐doped material is evaluated using the spread plate method and is observed against both Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative bacteria. Among all VS ₄ (Ni‐4%) materials, some materials show better results on Gram‐positive bacteria.