The goal of this research is to synthesize and characterize Fe3O4@Chitosan-AgNP nanocomposites in order to determine their antibacterial activity. The research methods include the synthesis of Fe3O4@Chitosan-AgNP nanocomposites, as well as the characterization of nanoparticles using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis, and subsequent antibacterial activity tests. The study’s findings demonstrated the successful synthesis of Fe3O4@Chitosan-AgNP nanocomposites, followed by nanoparticle characterization using SEM, TEM, XRD, and FTIR. Based on the XRD results, the conjugation of Fe3O4@Chitosan-AgNP nanocomposites has been successfully formed, as evidenced by the appearance of characteristic peaks of Fe3O4, chitosan, and AgNPs. According to the FTIR results, the interaction between chitosan-AgNPs and conjugated Fe3O4 occurred via the N atom in the NH2 group and the O atom in the OH group, and C=O. The SEM and TEM images also show that the Fe3O4@Chitosan-AgNP conjugation is a nanoparticle-based composite material. The combination of nanocomposites Fe3O4@Chitosan-AgNPs has antibacterial activity, inhibiting the growth of bacteria such as Bacillus cereus and Escherichia coli.
This is part 2 of the research on pervaporation membranes for seawater desalination based on Geo–rGO–TiO2 nanocomposite. The quality of the Geo–rGO–TiO2 pervaporation membranes (PV), as well as the suitability of the built pervaporation system, is thoroughly discussed. The four membranes described in detail in the first article were tested for their capabilities using the parameters turbidity, salinity, total suspended solids (TSS), and electrical conductivity (EC). The membranes’ flux permeate was measured as a function of temperature, and salt rejection was calculated using the electrical conductivity values of the feed and permeate. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques were used to investigate changes in the chemical composition and internal structure of the membranes after use in pervaporation systems. The morphology of the membrane’s surfaces was examined by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the elemental distribution was observed by using X-ray mapping and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The results showed that the pervaporation membrane of Geo–rGO–TiO2 (1, 3) achieved a permeate flux as high as 2.29 kg/m2·h with a salt rejection of around 91%. The results of the FTIR and XRD measurements did not show any changes in the functional group and chemical compositions of the membrane after the pervaporation process took place. Long-term pressure and temperature feed cause significant cracking in geopolymer and Geo–TiO2 (3) membranes. SEM results revealed that the surface of all membranes is leached out, and elemental distribution based on X-ray mapping and EDS observations revealed the addition of Na+ ions on the membrane surface. The study’s findings pave the way for more research and development of geopolymers as the basic material for inorganic membranes, particularly with the addition of rGO–TiO2 nanocomposites.