(33a) Synthesis of Graphene Based Iron-Copper Bimetllic Nanocomposite and Its Environmental Applications

Magnetic bimetallic Fe-Cu nanoparticles (NPs) supported on the reduced graphene oxide (rGO-FeCu) were synthesized successfully, and characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). At the same concentration and incubation time, rGO-FeCu showed much higher antibacterial activity compared to the rGO-supported iron. To better understand the antibacterial effect of rGO-FeCu, antibacterial activities of NPs with various compositions towards Escherichia coli were analyzed. Results show that the antibacterial activity is time and concentration dependent. rGOFeCu with 5% copper loading exhibits excellent removal efficiency of TCA as compared to others. This rGO-FeCu represents a highly potential material for antibacterial activity and remediation of other contaminants in wastewater.