Soft chemistry routes for the preparation of Ag-CoFe2O4 nanocomposites

Silver-cobalt ferrite nanocomposites (Ag-CoFe2O4) were synthesized through wet ferritization process and self-propagating combustion method. The structure, morphology, surface chemistry and magnetic properties of the nanocomposites were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). X-ray diffraction patterns confirmed the formation of CoFe2O4 and Ag nanoparticles with cubic symmetry. The average crystallite size of CoFe2O4 by wet ferritization ranged between 60 Å and 87 Å; for those obtained by self-propagating combustion was in the range 232-290 Å. SEM micrographs revealed different morphological features of nanocomposites. Ag-CoFe2O4 obtained by wet ferritization exhibited typical superparamagnetic behaviour. The antimicrobial and anti-biofilm properties of all silver-cobalt ferrites were evaluated. The results revealed that the Ag-CoFe2O4 nanocomposites exhibited good microbicidal and anti-biofilm features.