Improving water treatment using a novel antibacterial kappa-carrageenan-coated magnetite decorated with silver nanoparticles

In this study, we aimed to fabricate an enhanced antibacterial agent to act against pathogenic bacteria in aqueous environments. To achieve this, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were inlaid on a kappa-carrageenan (KC) base and coated on Fe3O4 magnetic cores (Fe3O4@KC@Ag). Superparamagnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles were designed at the center of the composite nanostructure, allowing magnetic recovery from aqueous media in the presence of a magnet. The synthesized nanoconjugate was characterized in each step using XRD, FT-IR, EDX, FE-SEM, TEM, DLS, VSM, and disk-diffusion antibacterial method. Results show that the nanocomposite system is formed, while the magnetic properties remain practically stable. The agglomeration of the AgNPs was decreased by the trap-like function of KC coating, which resulted in an improved antibacterial activity for the Fe3O4@KC@Ag formulation. These findings suggest that Fe3O4@KC@Ag nanocomposites could be promising agents for combating bacterial infections in aqueous environments.

Automated summary

In this study, an enhanced antibacterial agent was developed by inlaying silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on a kappa-carrageenan (KC) base and coating them on Fe3O4 magnetic cores (Fe3O4@KC@Ag). The resulting Fe3O4@KC@Ag nanocomposites showed improved antibacterial activity due to the decreased agglomeration of AgNPs. These findings suggest that Fe3O4@KC@Ag nanocomposites could be promising agents for combating bacterial infections in aqueous environments.