Enhanced bioactivity of Fe3O4-Au nanocomposites - A comparative antibacterial study

Iron oxide gold nanocomposites (Fe3O4-Au NCs) were synthesized by chemical reduction method. The band gap of synthesized Fe3O4-Au NCs was 5.37 eV. X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) pattern confirms the crystalline nature of the synthesized nanoparticles (NPs). Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) measurement showed the formation of Fe3O4-Au NCs with average particle size of 18 nm. The size diminution enables these Fe3O4-Au NCs to easily infiltrate the bacterial crust resulting in failure of membrane reliability. The prepared Fe3O4-Au NCs reveal good antibacterial activity against gram positive and negative pathogens, which are found in water. The obtained result shows that the prepared Fe3O4-Au NCs was good anti-bacterial agent. (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.