Magnetic and sterilizing properties of Ag(II)O–Fe3O4 hybrids synthesized via mechano-chemistry

Ag(II)O–Fe3O4 hybrids with good magnetic and bactericidal activity were synthesized via mechano-chemistry. The resulted products were characterized by transmission electronic microscope, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, atomic absorption spectrophotometer, vibrating sample magnetometry and the shake-flask method. The results indicated that magnetite nanoparticles were effectively grafted onto the surface of Ag(II)O submicron particles. The functionalized particles remained dispersed and superparamagnetic. The saturation magnetization increased with the amount of magnetite in the hybrids. Element Ag was released from Ag(II)O–Fe3O4 hybrids with a slow dissolution speed. Ag(II)O–Fe3O4 hybrids had strong antibacterial properties. When the concentrations of the two hybrids with the mass ratio of Ag(II)O to Fe3O4 of 1:2 and 2:1 were 10 mg/L, more than 99.9% of the Staphylococcus aureus or Escherichia coli bacteria were killed.