In this study, catechin-functionalized Fe3O4-Ag nanocomposites were synthesized by a hydrothermal method. The motivation for this study was to develop a novel antibacterial agent with enhanced stability and biocompatibility. The objective was to create a nanocomposite combining the antimicrobial properties of silver with the antioxidant and bioactive characteristics of catechin. We hypothesized that the synergistic effect of catechin and Fe3O4-Ag would yield a highly effective antibacterial material against common pathogens. The obtained nanocomposites were characterized by TEM, SEM, AFM, XPS, XRD, FTIR and physical property measurement system (PPMS). TEM images indicated that catechin-functionalized Fe3O4-Ag nanocomposites have a spherical morphology with an average size of 25.7 nm. The SEM and AFM imaging revealed that the nanocomposites appear as a number of large particles with average diameter of 581 nm. XPS and XRD and FTIR measurement confirmed the presence of catechin components, Fe3O4 and Ag in the nanocomposites. Taken together, we conclude that the catechin-Fe3O4-Ag nanocomposites in this study have a jujube cake structure in which the Fe3O4-Ag alloy nanoparticles serve as the jujube and the condensed catechin form into the cake substrate. The antimicrobial test indicated the catechin-functionalized Fe3O4-Ag nanocomposites have obvious inhibitory effects on E.coli, S.aureus, and C.albicans.
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