Optical, Magnetic, Dielectric and Antimicrobial Properties of MnCuFe2O4 Nanoparticles

Low-temperature hydrothermal synthesis produced Mn1-xCuxFe2O4 (x = 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, and 0.08) (MCF) nanoparticles (NPs). The MCF system produced a cubic spinel, according to X-ray diffraction. The average crystallite size varied from 53.6 to 79.8 nm. In FTIR investigations, broad (v1) and narrow (v2) absorption bands may indicate cation distributions in tetrahedral and octahedral locations, respectively. The surface morphology was FESEM-analyzed. The dependence of the optical bandgap shift (Eg~2.250-2.280 eV) on substituent concentration was clarified. Magnetization versus applied magnetic field (M-H) loops showed that MCFF NPs are superparamagnetic and useful for biological applications. Magnetization against magnetic field (M-H) curves for x = 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, and 0.08 revealed small remanence magnetization (Mr) and coercivity (Hc). This confirmed MCF NPs were superparamagnetic. An antibacterial examination using green-method MCF showed a 10.8 mm zone of inhibition of Escherichia coli and 9.4 mm for Streptococcus pneumoniae.