Impact of silver substitution on the structural, magnetic, optical, and antibacterial properties of cobalt ferrite

Abstract

Silver-doped Cobalt Ferrite nanoparticles Ag_xCo_1−xFe₂O₄ with concentrations (x = 0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15) have been prepared using a hydrothermal technique. The XRD pattern confirms the formation of the spinel phase of CoFe₂O₄ and the presence of Ag ions in the spinel structure. The spinel phase Ag_xCo_1−xFe₂O₄ nanoparticles are confirmed by FTIR analysis by the major bands formed at 874 and 651 cm⁻¹, which represent the tetrahedral and octahedral sites. The analysis of optical properties reveals an increase in band gap energy with increasing concentration of the dopant. The energy band gap values depicted for prepared nanoparticles with concentrations x = 0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15 are 3.58 eV, 3.08 eV, 2.93 eV, and 2.84 eV respectively. Replacement of the Co²⁺ ion with the nonmagnetic Ag²⁺ ion causes a change in saturation magnetization, with Ms values of 48.36, 29.06, 40.69, and 45.85 emu/g being recorded. The CoFe₂O₄ and Ag²⁺ CoFe₂O₄ nanoparticles were found to be effective against the Acinetobacter Lwoffii and Moraxella species, with a high inhibition zone value of x = 0.15 and 8 × 8 cm against bacteria. It is suggested that, by the above results, the synthesized material is suitable for memory storage devices and antibacterial activity.