Zeolite-Copper Ferrite Nanocomposites with Improved Antibacterial Activity and Reusability for Biomedical Applications

Zeolite/CuFe2O4 nanocomposites (NCs) were synthesized using the coprecipitation technique with different concentrations of CuFe2O4 nanoparticles (NPs) to optimize the capacity of zeolite to cation exchange and study its antibacterial activities. UV-vis, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), and thermogravimetric analysis were utilized to characterize the NCs. XRD patterns revealed a slight shift in the peaks while the amount of CuFe2O4 increased. The CuFe2O4 NPs were distributed uniformly throughout the zeolite framework, and the basic structure of the zeolite was intact, as shown by FESEM and EDX. The addition of 6 wt % CuFe2O4 NPs to the zeolite framework reduced the BET-specific surface area from 336 to 187 m2/g. The thermal stability of the samples increased as the amount of CuFe2O4 NPs increased. Magnetic saturation of NCs was in the range of 10-41 emu/g, indicating suitability for manipulation under an external magnetic field. NCs (6 wt %) demonstrated significant antibacterial activity against different species of bacteria. The efficacy of the antibacterial agent enhanced with increasing the CuFe2O4 NPs, reaching 98% againstEscherichia coli. Antibacterial activity was also studied throughout the sequential magnetic separation and recycling phases, and nanocomposite had a strong antibacterial activity after 7 cycles of recycling, making them potentially valuable tools in drug delivery systems, wound healing and tissue engineering, and other biomedical applications