Improving water treatment using a novel antibacterial kappa-carrageenan-coated magnetite decorated with silver nanoparticles

Abstract

In this study, we aimed to fabricate an enhanced antibacterial agent to act against pathogenic bacteria in aqueous environments. To achieve this, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were inlaid on a kappa-carrageenan (KC) base and coated on Fe₃O₄ magnetic cores (Fe₃O₄@KC@Ag). Superparamagnetic Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were designed at the center of the composite nanostructure, allowing magnetic recovery from aqueous media in the presence of a magnet. The synthesized nanoconjugate was characterized in each step using XRD, FT-IR, EDX, FE-SEM, TEM, DLS, VSM, and disk-diffusion antibacterial method. Results show that the nanocomposite system is formed, while the magnetic properties remain practically stable. The agglomeration of the AgNPs was decreased by the trap-like function of KC coating, which resulted in an improved antibacterial activity for the Fe₃O₄@KC@Ag formulation. These findings suggest that Fe₃O₄@KC@Ag nanocomposites could be promising agents for combating bacterial infections in aqueous environments.

Keywords: Antibacterial activity; Kappa-carrageenan; Silver nanoparticle; Superparamagnetic nanoparticle; Water treatment.