Hydrothermally Assisted Fabrication of TiO2-Fe3O4 Composite Materials and Their Antibacterial Activity.

Adam Kubiak,Anna Dobrowolska,Katarzyna Siwińska-Ciesielczyk,Teofil Jesionowski,Marta Kubacka,Karol Synoradzki,Katarzyna Czaczyk,Elżbieta Gabała

doi:10.3390/ma13214715

Abstract

The TiO2-Fe3O4 composite materials were fabricated via the hydrothermal-assisted technique. It was determined how the molar ratio of TiO2 to Fe3O4 influences the crystalline structure and morphology of the synthesized composite materials. The effect of the molar ratio of components on the antibacterial activity was also analyzed. On the basis of XRD patterns for the obtained titanium(IV) oxide-iron(II, III) oxide composites, the two separate crystalline forms—anatase and magnetite —were observed. Transmission electron microscopy revealed particles of cubic and tetragonal shape for TiO2 and spherical for Fe3O4. The results of low-temperature nitrogen sorption analysis indicated that an increase in the iron(II, III) oxide content leads to a decrease in the BET surface area. Moreover, the superparamagnetic properties of titanium(IV) oxide-iron(II, III) oxide composites should be noted. An important aim of the work was to determine the antibacterial activity of selected TiO2-Fe3O4 materials. For this purpose, two representative strains of bacteria, the Gram-negative Escherichia coli and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus, were used. The titanium(IV) oxide-iron(II, III) oxide composites demonstrated a large zone of growth inhibition for both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Moreover, it was found that the analyzed materials can be reused as antibacterial agents in three consecutive cycles with good results.

Highlights

There is a significant increase in research into the design of new antimicrobial materials to control and reduce the number of microorganisms around us
The particle size distribution of iron(II, III) oxide confirmed the presence of particles in the range of 105 to 295 nm
Based on the presented results of the particle size distribution, it is shown that the molar ratio of TiO2 :Fe3 O4 has a meaningful influence on the dispersion properties

Summary

Introduction

There is a significant increase in research into the design of new antimicrobial materials to control and reduce the number of microorganisms around us. Bacterial infections are a problem that affects millions of people worldwide every year. Many compounds and materials with antibacterial properties have been developed to prevent bacterial infections, including quaternary ammonium compounds [10], carbon nanotubes [11], metal ions [12], metal oxide molecules [13], and precious metal-based materials [14]. These antibacterial agents have disadvantages including environmental pollution, complexity, and the high cost of the production process or substrates [8]. There is a need to continue to develop effective antibacterial materials

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Results

Conclusion