Structural, magnetic, and antibacterial properties of Ni1− xCuxFe2O4 nanocomposites: influence of Cu substitution
摘要
Bacterial resistance to antibiotics is a significant concern. Developing novel antibiotics frequently fails to address the swiftly escalating bacterial resistance and necessitates inventive strategies to tackle bacterial illnesses. The size-dependent antibacterial efficacy of Ni1− xCuxFe2O4 nanocomposites was examined utilizing Ni1− xCuxFe2O4 compositions with substitution values x = 0.2, 0.4, and 0.6, synthesized by the sol-gel auto-combustion technique at a consistent calcination temperature of 425 °C for 3 h. The X-ray diffraction pattern has been employed to validate the single-phase cubic spinel structure. The average size of the crystallite increases from 37.072 nm to 42.288 nm as the substitution process varies from x = 0.2 to x = 0.6, resulting in crystalline size growth. The microstructural investigation was performed using the FESEM technique, revealing that the average particle size grows from 39.429 nm to 45.610 nm with heightened copper substitution. The TEM images reveal a nanoparticle structure characterized by some agglomeration, the particles exhibiting a spherical morphology, and their sizes correspond well with those obtained from XRD analyses. The FTIR examination corroborated the spinel structure of the ferrite system. Two prominent absorption bands,