Synthesis of tin (II) oxide nanoparticles using laser ablation in deionised water and their antimicrobial properties

The unique shape of tin (II) oxide (SnO₂) nanostructures in a colloidal solution is described. The nanostructures were synthesised using the pulsed Nd-YAG ablation technique, which entailed submerging small, high-quality tin particles in deionised water. The particles were coarsely crushed manually, filtered, and compacted into a solid tablet for 60 min using a 5-t hydraulic press. This production method utilised a pulse count of up to 200 laser shots, a wavelength of 1064 nm, spot size of 2.3 mm, focal length of 10 cm, and an energy of 500 mJ to examine the influence of surface shape on antibacterial activity levels. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis identified rhombohedral crystals mainly characterised by three Bragg peaks. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of the surface showed distinct and reasonably homogenous semispherical nanoparticles (NPs) rather than the expected porosity. The NPs exhibited an average size of 193.53 nm, in agreement with electron dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), which indicated that the oxygen-to-tin ratio closely approximated that of tin oxide (SnO₂). In addition, the vibrational spectra measured with a Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer indicated the synthesis of amber-coloured SnO₂ NPs, confirming their formation by the preparation process, as well as their light scattering and absorption characteristics. In addition, using UV–visible spectroscopy, the resulting energy gap was 2.4 eV, within the normal range of energy gap for SnO₂. The generated NPs were discovered to suppress the growth of fungi and bacteria, indicating that they may prevent the development of these entities. Although the antibacterial and antifungal properties of tin oxide are not as well-known as those of silver or zinc oxide, this study demonstrated moderate antibacterial activity against the germs in question, making it a more secure and cost-effective alternative.