Facile low temperature synthesis of homogeneous CuS nanosheets: An effect of Ga loading on structural, optical, nonlinear and antimicrobial properties

Herein, we report the facile synthesis and characterization of gallium (Ga) doped copper sulfide (CuS) nanosheets (Ga:CuS NSs) via chemical co-precipitation (CCP) route. The phase was studied by XRD, Raman and XPS analyses. Furthermore, from applications point of view, the UV-Vis-NIR, Z-scan measurements, and antibacterial studies were performed on the prepared NSs. XRD/Raman analysis reveals hexagonal structure of NSs and the crystallite size was calculated in range of 6-13 nm. SEM images unveiled an increase in grains size with Ga contents. The band gap values of Ga:CuS NSs were calculated from diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS) using Kubelka-Munk (K-M) theory, which are found in the range of 2.2 - 2.4 eV. The nonlinear absorption coefficient (beta) and nonlinear refractive index (n2) were found in range of 1.73 x 10-8 - 1.85 x 10-8 cm/W and 2.61 x 10-13 - 2.15 x 10-13 cm2/W, respectively. The antimicrobial findings showed that the tested Ga:CuS NSs are most effective against Gram positive bacteria. The outcomes spotlight the multifunctional nature of the prepared Ga: CuS NSs for a wide-range of applications.