Photocatalytic and antibacterial performance of iron oxide nanoparticles formed by the combustion method

• DOI: 10.1016/j.cplett.2021.138524
• Publication Date: 2021-03-19T02:26:47Z
• Authors: K. Tharani; A. Jegatha Christy; Suresh Sagadevan; L.C. Nehru
• Keywords: 0103 physical sciences; 7. Clean energy; 01 natural sciences; 3. Good health

Abstract The present study deals with the synthesis, characterization, and testing of the antimicrobial and photocatalytic activities of hematite ore type iron oxide (α-Fe2O3) nanoparticles (NPs) formed by the combustion method that makes use of urea as a fuel. The physicochemical analysis of the formed α-Fe2O3 NPs indicated that the particles are having a rhombohedral structure with an average crystalline size of 30 nm as provided by the powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), while the scanning electron microscope (SEM) confirmed for the spherical shape, vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) for the diamagnetic nature, and the energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) (elemental analysis) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) (nature of bonding) for the successful formation of the iron oxide. The tests of Rhodamine B (RhB) dye degradation confirmed the potential photocatalytic activity of α-Fe2O3 NPs, and also, the efficacy against both gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and gram-negative (Escherichia coli) bacterial strains have supported the strong antibacterial activity of the synthesized α-Fe2O3 NPs.