Synthesis, characterization, and evaluation of antibacterial activity of transition metal oxyde nanoparticles

Nanoparticles (NPs) have a wide range of applications in various areas. For health application, cytotoxicity tests are used to ensure its efficiency and safety. In this paper, ZnFe₂O₄, CoFe₂O₄, Zn_0.5Co_0.5Fe₂O₄ NPs were synthesized, characterized and their antibacterial properties were evaluated. The Sol-Gel method was used to synthesize the NPs. Their electronic and crystallographic structures were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy Analysis (FTIR), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). To perform the antibacterial evaluation, ferrites were dispersed through nanoemulsion to prevent the crystals from accumulating together. Then the evaluation was performed through microdilution in a 96-well plate and diffusion in agar disc in contact with 3 different strains of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. It demonstrated that the Sol-Gel method was efficient to synthesize NPs with suitable sizes for health application. All synthesized NPs showed the inhibition of bacterias with different concentrations used.