TiO₂-ZnO-MgO mixed oxide nanomaterials (MONs) were synthetized via the sol-gel method and characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), nitrogen physisorption analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-Vis DRS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and color (Luminosity (L), a, b, Chrome, hue) parameters. Furthermore, the antimicrobial activity of the MONs was tested against Escherichia coli (EC), Salmonella paratyphi (SP), Staphylococcus aureus (SA), and Listeria monocytogenes (LM). The MONs presented a semi globular-ovoid shape of ≤100 nm. Samples were classified as mesoporous materials and preserved in the TiO₂ anatase phase, with slight changes in the color parameters of the MONs in comparison with pure TiO₂. The MONs exhibited antimicrobial activity, and their effect on the tested bacteria was in the following order: EC > SP > SA > LM. Therefore, MONs could be used as antimicrobial agents for industrial applications.
Keywords: antimicrobial activity; mixed oxides; nanomaterials; sol-gel method.