# Mössbauer, optical, magnetic, electrochemical and antibacterial studies of the Ag/Sr0.85Ag0.15FeO3−δ composite

## TL;DR

This study explores a new composite material with unique structural, magnetic, and antibacterial properties, suitable for various applications.

## Contribution

The novel Ag/Sr0.85Ag0.15FeO3−δ composite is introduced with confirmed perovskite structure and multifunctional properties.

## Key findings

- The composite exhibits a perovskite phase with Ag nanoparticles confirmed via XRD and TEM.
- The material shows pseudocapacitive behavior and an exchange bias effect due to competing magnetic orders.
- The composite demonstrates strong antibacterial activity against multiple types of bacteria and fungi.

## Abstract

In this study, Ag/Sr0.85Ag0.15FeO3−δ composite was prepared by sol-gel method. The structure, morphology, and surface properties of this composite have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) combined with Rietveld analysis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Mössbauer spectroscopy. XRD and TEM results confirm the existence of the perovskite phase of Sr0.85Ag0.15FeO3−δ and Ag nanoparticles. XPS and Mössbauer spectroscopy results indicate the existence of oxygen vacancies (δ) and different oxidation states of Fe ions. The band gap energy (Eg) of this composite is 3.53 eV and lies in the UV region. The magnetic hysteresis loop (M-H) of this composite reveals the existence of an exchange bias effect because of the competition between antiferromagnetic (AFM) and ferromagnetic order (FM). Electrochemical measurements indicated that the Ag/Sr0.85Ag0.15FeO3−δ composite exhibits pseudocapacitive behavior. The present composite showed strong antimicrobial activity to fight both tested Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria as well as unicellular and filamentous fungi strains.