Synthesis of composite NiCo2O4 nanosheets loaded with Ag nanoparticles and their antibacterial activity.

Antibiotic resistance is increasing to dangerous levels across the globe. A growing list of bacterial infections that lead to blood poisoning or foodborne diseases are becoming challenging to treat due to the loss of antibiotic efficacy. Studies on the antibacterial performance of Ag nanoparticles and other transitional metal oxides have gained increasing attention as an alternative therapeutic strategy. In this study, NiCo2O4 and Ag/NiCo2O4 composites with different contents of Ag were synthesized through a simple co-precipitation method. The composites were assessed via transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results demonstrated that the morphology of NiCo2O4 was unaffected by the addition of Ag. The NiCo2O4 and Ag/NiCo2O4 composites with different contents of Ag showed a suitable size of approximately 10 nm. The NiCo2O4 and Ag/NiCo2O4 composites displayed potent activity against a range of disease-causing bacteria. The Ag/NiCo2O4 composites with low Ag content displayed weak antibacterial activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]