Ion implantation engineered Cu+ doped ZnO nanostructured materials: photocatalytic antibacterial activity and degradation of organic compounds

In this study, ion implantation technology was utilized to fabricate Cu-ZnO nanostructured materials. Notably, this technique enabled not only the synthesis of the ZnO substrate itself but also the precise doping of Cu ions into the ZnO lattice. Through this integrated strategy, the unique advantages of ion implantation were effectively demonstrated. The antibacterial performance under ultraviolet (UV) and visible light (LED) irradiation, along with the performance of methyl orange degradation under visible light, was investigated. XRD and XPS analyses confirmed the substitutional doping of Cu ions into the ZnO lattice. UV–Vis absorption spectroscopy indicated an extended optical absorption range. Antibacterial tests on the sample with the best performance revealed inactivation rates of 90.60 % and 73.41 % for Escherichia coli under UV irradiation (1 min) and visible light exposure (60 min), respectively. Under UV irradiation, the bactericidal mechanism is dominated by ZnO intrinsic photoinduced reactive oxygen species (ROS), whereas under visible light, it relies on the synergistic effects of Cu²⁺ and Zn²⁺ ion release and narrow-bandgap-mediated ROS generation. Photocatalytic experiments showed that Cu-ZnO achieved a 1.3-fold increase in methyl orange degradation rate compared to pure ZnO under visible light, with a 52.7 % removal rate within 60 min. This enhancement was attributed to the effective separation of photogenerated electron-hole pairs induced by Cu ions doping. This study establishes an experimental basis for engineering photocatalysts via ion implantation technology under diverse illumination conditions.