Abstract
Zn–Ni–TiO2 nanocomposites with various amounts of TiO2 were successfully prepared by electroplating method on copper substrates using an acidic solution with TiO2 nanoparticles in suspension. The composition and morphology of the composite coatings were characterised respectively using of scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometer and elemental mapping analysis system. The microhardness of the nanocomposite coatings was investigated. The antibacterial activity of Zn–Ni–TiO2 nanocomposites films was studied against Gram positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria. Antimicrobial property increased upon the increase in the TiO2 concentration. In addition, the antimicrobial property was more pronounced with the positive bacteria than the negative one. These results demonstrated the microbiocidal property of TiO2, so Zn–Ni–TiO2 coatings have great potential applications in reducing biofouling formation in devices that suffer from biofouling problems.