Antibacterial, antibiofilm, and photocatalytic activities of metals-substituted spinel cobalt ferrite nanoparticles

M I A Abdel Maksoud; Gharieb S El-Sayyad; A H Ashour; Ahmed I El-Batal; Mohamed A Elsayed; Mohamed Gobara; Ahmed M El-Khawaga; E K Abdel-Khalek; M M El-Okr

doi:10.1016/j.micpath.2018.11.045

Antibacterial, antibiofilm, and photocatalytic activities of metals-substituted spinel cobalt ferrite nanoparticles

Microb Pathog. 2019 Feb:127:144-158. doi: 10.1016/j.micpath.2018.11.045. Epub 2018 Nov 28.

Authors

M I A Abdel Maksoud¹, Gharieb S El-Sayyad², A H Ashour¹, Ahmed I El-Batal³, Mohamed A Elsayed⁴, Mohamed Gobara⁴, Ahmed M El-Khawaga⁴, E K Abdel-Khalek⁵, M M El-Okr⁵

Affiliations

¹ Materials Science Lab, Radiation Physics Department, National Center for Radiation Research and Technology (NCRRT), Atomic Energy Authority, Cairo, Egypt.
² Drug Microbiology Lab, Drug Radiation Research Department, National Center for Radiation Research and Technology (NCRRT), Atomic Energy Authority, Cairo, Egypt. Electronic address: Gharieb.Elsayaad@eaea.org.eg.
³ Drug Microbiology Lab, Drug Radiation Research Department, National Center for Radiation Research and Technology (NCRRT), Atomic Energy Authority, Cairo, Egypt.
⁴ Chemical Engineering Department, Military Technical College, Egyptian Armed Forces, Cairo, Egypt.
⁵ Physics Department, Faculty of Science (Boys Branch), Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt.

PMID: 30502518
DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2018.11.045

Abstract

This study reports the photocatalytic degradation of Methylene Blue (MB) dye (a class of dyestuffs that are resistant to biodegradation) under the influence of UV-light irradiation. Antibacterial and antibiofilm activities of ferrite nanoparticles (FO NPs) were examined against some pathogenic bacteria isolated from the medical operating room surfaces. In the same context, metals-substituted spinel cobalt ferrite nanoparticles with nominal composition [M_xCo_1-xFe₂O₄ NPs; (M = Zn, Cu, Mn; x = 0.0, 0.25, 0.5 and 0.75)] were synthesized by citrate sol-gel method. Also, the structures of the synthesized FO NPs were characterized by X-ray diffraction, and Williamson-Hall (WH) method was used to determine the crystallite size. The estimated specific surface area is found in the range from 37.99 to 107.05 m²/g, between the synthesized ferrites, Zn_0.5Co_0.5Fe₂O₄ NPs have average pore radius 1.84 nm and the pore volume was 0.136 ml/g. SEM images revealed that, the synthesized FO NPs have an unique pores and uniformly distribution, while EDX spectra shows the elemental composition for the synthesized FO NPs. The elastic properties of FO NPs have been estimated using FTIR data, whereas (M - H) hysteresis loops revealed that, by replacing cobalt ions with Zn, Cu, and Mn ions the magnetic behaviour changed from ferromagnetic to paramagnetic. Results obtained from the photocatalysis indicated that Mn_0.75Co_0.25Fe₂O₄ NPs (30.0 mg) were a promising photocatalyst achieving 96.0% removal of MB after 100 min of UV-light exposure in the alkaline solution. Antibacterial results showed that the most effective combination was Zn_0.75Co_0.25Fe₂O₄ NPs (20.0 ppm) displaying activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus columbae, and Aerococcus viridians by 15.0, 13.0, and 12.0 mm ZOI, respectively. Additionally, Zn_0.75Co_0.25Fe₂O₄ NPs were active as antibiofilm factors producing activity by 63.7, 57.9, and 45.5% towards S. aureus, A. viridians, and E. columbae, respectively. Accordingly, Zn_0.75Co_0.25Fe₂O₄ and Mn_0.75Co_0.25Fe₂O₄ NPs can be utilized in industrial, biological and medical applications.

Keywords: Antimicrobial activity; Biofilm; Methylene blue; Photo-catalysis; Spinel ferrite NPs; Staphylococcus aureus.

MeSH terms

Aluminum Oxide / chemical synthesis
Aluminum Oxide / pharmacology*
Anti-Bacterial Agents / chemical synthesis
Anti-Bacterial Agents / chemistry
Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology*
Biofilms / drug effects*
Biofilms / growth & development
Cobalt / pharmacology*
Disk Diffusion Antimicrobial Tests
Ferric Compounds / pharmacology*
Gram-Positive Bacteria / drug effects*
Gram-Positive Bacteria / growth & development
Magnesium Oxide / chemical synthesis
Magnesium Oxide / pharmacology*
Metals / pharmacology*
Methylene Blue / metabolism
Nanoparticles / chemistry*
Spectrum Analysis
X-Ray Diffraction

Substances

Anti-Bacterial Agents
Ferric Compounds
Metals
cobalt ferrite
spinell
Magnesium Oxide
Cobalt
Aluminum Oxide
Methylene Blue