Metal oxides are important materials that are being developed for use in research and health-related applications. In particular, TiO2 and ZnO nanomaterials for applications in antibacterial coatings, pollutant purification, and photovoltaic devices have been extensively studied. The photocatalytic performances are highly dependent on morphology and crystal structure. However, there are few studies are comparing pollutant purification and antibacterial behavior of different TiO2 nanostructures and less studies of antibacterial activity related to fundamental properties of ZnO. In this study, the details of proposed mechanism and principle of antibacterial mechanisms of metal oxide nanostructures has been examined. Different TiO2 nanostructures (nanotubes, nanorods) have been successfully synthesized and their photocatalytic properties have been studied. In addition, studies of basic properties of commercial ZnO nanoparticles related to antibacterial activity have been performed. / published_or_final_version / Physics / Master / Master of Philosophy