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Hydrothermal synthesis of Ag@TiO2–Fe3O4 nanocomposites using sonochemically activated precursors: magnetic, photocatalytic and antibacterial properties

Fe3O4–TiO2 nanocomposites have been synthesized by hydrothermal method using sonochemically activated precursors. X-ray diffraction analysis of the samples reveals the formation of pure phase composites. The optical properties of the composites are superior to TiO2 as noted from the red shift in the diffused reflectance spectra of the composites. The presence of nanocubes of Fe3O4, nanospheres of TiO2 and heterojunctions of the two in the composite samples have been observed in transmission electron micrographs. The magnetic properties of the samples were determined with the help of vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM) and magnetic force microscopy (MFM). The photocatalytic activity of the samples was investigated in terms of degradation of methyl orange (MO) dye. The composites could be easily separated from the reaction mixture after photocatalysis due to their magnetic behaviour. However, the photocatalytic activity of the composites was observed to be lower compared to bare TiO2. The composite (15% Fe3O4–TiO2) when modified by coating it with Ag showed enhanced photocatalytic activity. Further, the antibacterial activities of the samples were also examined using E. coli as a model organism. Positive results were obtained only for the Ag coated composite with lower MIC (minimum inhibition concentration) values.