Graphene-based Sm-doped Co-ferrite for environmental applications

Abstract

A graphene-based Sm-doped Co-ferrite CoSmFe-G nanosample was created using the citrate auto-combustion method. It acts as an antibacterial agent and heavy metal remover. The sample’s physical properties were analyzed using various techniques including X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), zeta potential, and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) measurements. The XRD results confirmed the presence of a single-phase cubic spinel structure. The experimental results indicated that doping with graphene and samarium significantly altered the magnetic properties of CoSmFe-G nanoparticles, reducing the saturation magnetization (MS) values to 35.759 emu/g. The sample showed antibacterial properties against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, with inhibition zones measuring 12–14.5 mm in diameter. Additionally, the sample exhibited efficient (Pb2+) adsorption, with a maximum removal capacity of 99.8% and a multilayer adsorption mechanism indicated by the pseudo-second-order isotherm and Freundlich model matching. The study explores the binding interactions for lead removal and highlights the potential of using graphene-based Sm-doped Co-ferrite (CoSmFe-G) nano samples as a bio-adsorbent and antibacterial agent. This could lead to practical and efficient solutions for water disinfection.