A Versatile Route for the Synthesis of Iron Oxide Nanostructures by Electrochemical Reduction Method and Their Antibacterial Application

Nanoscience is one of the most important research in modern science. The preparation of monodisperse-sized nanocrystals is very important because the properties of these nanocrystals depend strongly on their dimensions. The preparation of monodisperse-sized nanocrystals with controllable sizes is very important to characterize the size-dependent physicochemical properties of nanocrystals. Iron, the most ubiquitous of the transition metals and the fourth most plentiful element in the Earths crust, is the structural backbone of our modern infrastructure. The nanostructured iron oxide (IONPs) were synthesized by electrochemical reduction method using tetra octyl ammonium bromide as structure directing agent in an organic medium viz. tetra hydro furan and acetonitrile in 1:4 ratio by optimizing current density 12 mA/cm2. Such nanoparticles were prepared using simple electrolysis cell in which the sacrificial anode was as a commercially available iron metal sheet and platinum (inert) sheet acted as a cathode. The synthesized iron oxide nanoparticles were characterized by using ultra violet–visible spectroscopy, infra red spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy and transmission electron microscope analysis techniques. The nanoparticles were tested for antibacterial activity against human pathogens like gram negative Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhi and gram positive Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis strains, which showed excellent antibacterial properties.