Synthesis of Cu‐Doped Fe3O4 Nanocomposites for Bacterial Disinfection

In this work, copper-doped Fe3O4 magnetic nanocomposites were synthesized via the solvothermal method. The synthesized catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and electron paramagnetic resonance. The performance of the catalysts in the Fenton-like reaction was evaluated through the analysis of their antibacterial activity in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. Electron paramagnetic resonance results indicated that •OH and •OOH, generated from hydrogen peroxide, were the primary active components in the reaction system. The Cu2+-Fe3O4 nanocomposites showed stronger antibacterial activity towards Escherichia coli than Fe3O4, possibly due to the presence of Cu2+ which accelerated the circulation between Fe2+ and Fe3+ ions and enhanced the utilization efficiency of hydrogen peroxide. Furthermore, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry analysis demonstrated that the concentration of released copper ions in aqueous solution remained within safe limits. Herein, we may provide a promising environmentally friendly catalyst for water disinfection treatment.