Synthesis of magnetic Cu-Fe3O4/carbon composite microspheres with excellent catalytic and antibacterial properties

Abstract

Recently, metal nanoparticles supported on porous carbon microspheres have been attracted increasing attention from researchers worldwide. In this study, magnetically separable Cu nanoparticle-loaded porous Fe3O4/carbon microspheres (Cu-Fe3O4/C) were synthesized by combining one-step electrostatic droplets method with the impregnation adsorption and high-temperature carbonization approach. The structural properties of the as-prepared composite microspheres were systematically characterized. The results reveal a homogeneously distribution of the Cu and Fe3O4 nanoparticles in the carbon microspheres, which have an average diameter around 0.48 mm. In addition, the catalytic activity of the Cu-Fe3O4/C composite for selective reduction of 4-nitrophenol was investigated, and a high conversion of ca. 95 % was achieved within 30 min using the highly stable composite catalyst. Furthermore, in antibacterial tests, Cu-Fe3O4/C also showed significant suppression effects on bacteria such as Escherichia coli (E. coli), Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), and Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes). These results demonstrate the high potential of the Cu-Fe3O4/C composite microspheres for catalytic and antibacterial applications.