NiO coupled CdO nanoparticles with enhanced magnetic and antifungal properties

NiO coupled CdO (CdO-NiO) nanopaticles were synthesized by precipitation method. Besides the structural properties, magnetic and fungus inhibition properties of the CdO-NiO nanocomposite were studied and compared with the results obtained for pure CdO and NiO. Composite formation was well acknowledged from the presence of cubic structured peaks related to CdO and NiO in the XRD pattern and from the presence of Cd, Ni and O in the XPS spectrum. Intermediate band gap of 2.72 eV was observed for the composite which lies in between CdO (2.48 eV) and NiO (3.73 eV). The paramagnetic behavior of CdO become ferromagnetic when coupled with NiO. The presence of well defined hysteresis loop observed for the composite ascertained the dominance of NiO in its magnetic property. Antifungal studies were performed against A. terreus fungus by agar well diffusion method. The antifungal activity of the CdO-NiO nanocomposite was found to be better than that of CdO and NiO nanoparticles. CdO seems to dominate the fungal inhibition property of the composite. The results firmly establish that the CdO-NiO composite is well suited for magnetic and antimicrobial applications.