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

Zeolite/CuFe 2 O 4 nanocomposites (NCs) were synthesized using the coprecipitation technique with different concentrations of CuFe 2 O 4 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 CuFe 2 O 4 increased. The CuFe 2 O 4 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 % CuFe 2 O 4 NPs to the zeolite framework reduced the BET-specific surface area from 336 to 187 m 2 /g. The thermal stability of the samples increased as the amount of CuFe 2 O 4 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 CuFe 2 O 4 NPs, reaching 98% against Escherichia 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.