Green Synthesis of Nickel–Copper Mixed Ferrite Nanoparticles: Structural, Optical, Magnetic, Electrochemical and Antibacterial Studies

Abstract

The nickel–copper mixed ferrite nanoparticles [Cu1−xNixFe2O4 (x = 0, 0.5, 1)] NPs were prepared a by combustion method using Aloe barbadensis extract as a green reducing agent. The structural, functional, morphological, optical, magnetic, electrochemical properties of the sample were investigated using x-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) spectrophotometry, photoluminescence, vibrating sample and cyclic voltammetry. The XRD patterns showed that all compositions with a cubic spinel structure and a crystallite size of 52 nm were reduced to 29 nm after nickel addition in copper ferrite and 35.85 nm for nickel ferrite. The UV–Vis absorption spectrum shows that the nickel-substituted copper ferrite band energy (Eg) increases as the crystallite size decreases. Measurements of magnetization obtained at room temperature revealed a soft ferromagnetic behaviour and saturation magnetization, coercivity value increased with the substitution of nickel. The maximum specific capacitance of 114 F g−1 was obtained at the scan rate of 5 mV s−1 for copper–nickel mixed ferrite NPs. A study of antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, Klebsilla pneumonia, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus subtilis using a well-diffusion method was performed. Nickel substitution on the copper spinel ferrite NPs revealed a major influence on structural, optical, magnetic, electrochemical and magnetic properties of the product obtained.