Synthesis of Magnetic Novel Hybrid Nanocomposite (Fe3O4@SiO2/Activated carbon( by a Green method and Evaluation of Its Antibacterial Potential

Abstract

Inorganic antibacterial nanoagents have more advantages compared to popularly organic agents due to chemical stability, thermal resistance, immunity and long-term activity. In this study, a magnetically hybrid nanocomposite was prepared from the Nigella sativa oil waste as organic matrix in a green approach. The homogeneous distribution of core-shell Fe3O4@SiO2 nanoparticles on the activated carbon surface was carried out with a simple chemical method. Characterization of the synthesized nanocomposite was performed by different analysis techniques such as scanning electron microscopy–energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDX), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analysis. The antibacterial activities of the prepared nanoparticles against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria were investigated and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values compared to imipenem as standard antibiotic. The effects of temperature, time and ratio of the activated carbon to Fe3O4@SiO2 on the MIC and MBC values of the prepared nanocomposites were investigated. The obtained results reveal the substantial role of all of these parameters in the gram-positive antibacterial properties, especially for S. agalactiae bacteria. The results show that the new proposed nanocomposite could be an alternative for an effective filter against gram-positive bacteria alongside having magnetic properties.