title: Air stable magnetic bimetallic Fe-Ag nanoparticles for advanced antimicrobial treatment and phosphorus removal.
abstract: We report on new magnetic bimetallic Fe-Ag nanoparticles (NPs) which exhibit significant antibacterial and antifungal activities against a variety of microorganisms including disease causing pathogens, as well as prolonged action and high efficiency of phosphorus removal. The preparation of these multifunctional hybrids, based on direct reduction of silver ions by commercially available zerovalent iron nanoparticles (nZVI) is fast, simple, feasible in a large scale with a controllable silver NP content and size. The microscopic observations (transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy/electron diffraction spectroscopy) and phase analyses (X-ray diffraction, Mössbauer spectroscopy) reveal the formation of Fe₃O₄/γ-FeOOH double shell on a "redox" active nZVI surface. This shell is probably responsible for high stability of magnetic bimetallic Fe-Ag NPs during storage in air. Silver NPs, ranging between 10 and 30 nm depending on the initial concentration of AgNO₃, are firmly bound to Fe NPs, which prevents their release even during a long-term sonication. Taking into account the possibility of easy magnetic separation of the novel bimetallic Fe-Ag NPs, they represent a highly promising material for advanced antimicrobial and reductive water treatment technologies.
authors.affiliation: Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Departments of Physical Chemistry and Experimental Physics, Faculty of Science, Palacký University, 17. listopadu 1192/12, 771 46 Olomouc, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Zdenka
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Marková
authors.forename: Karolína Machalová
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Šišková
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Filip
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Čuda
authors.forename: Milan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kolář
authors.forename: Klára
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Šafářová
authors.forename: Ivo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Medřík
authors.forename: Radek
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zbořil
mesh_terms: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D007501:Iron / Q000737:chemistry*; D008280:Magnetics; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012834:Silver / Q000737:chemistry*; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D010758:Phosphorus; D012834:Silver; D007501:Iron