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In the pursuit of multifunctional applications, researchers face a crucial challenge in creating an efficient and economically viable perovskite-ferrite nanomaterial. In response to this challenge, multifunctional (1−x)BaTi2Fe4O11−(x)NiFe2O4 (BTF−xNFO) nanoceramics, where (x = 0.1–0.7), were successfully synthesized using the sol-gel method at a temperature of 550 °C. The XRD and FTIR were used to identify the crystal and chemical structure of the multifunctional nanocomposites. The XRD analysis confirms the emergence of a multiphase structure, with iron barium titanate adopting a hexagonal crystalline structure and nickel ferrite assuming a cubic crystalline arrangement. Moreover, the relative dielectric permittivity showcases frequency-dependent tendencies, showcasing a pronounced decline as the frequency increases. The obtained results highlighted the remarkable antimicrobial and antibiofilm potentials of BTF-7NF across all tested microbes. The study assessed the minimum inhibitory and biocidal concentrations of a specific nanocomposite. In terms of its antibiofilm properties, it was found that a concentration of 200 µg/ml of this nanocomposite (BTF-7NF) effectively eliminated biofilm formation.These findings strongly suggest BTF-7NF as a promising alternative antibacterial agent, capable of preventing harmful bacterial biofilm formation at exceptionally low concentrations.Article Highlights: The synthesis of high-performance BaTi2Fe4O11-NiFe2O4 nanoceramics achieved at lower temperatures. These nanoceramics exhibit promising multiferroic properties enabling applications in various nanotechnology. The BaTi2Fe4O11- NiFe2O4 nanoceramics demonstrate remarkable effectiveness against P. aeruginosa biofilm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates the effect of Ni2+ content on structural (XRD, XPS), morphological (TEM), and magnetic behaviors of silica magnesium zirconium copper nanoceramics calcined at 800 °C. The sol–gel route is followed for the silica magnesium zirconium copper/(0.0–0.7) Ni2+ samples preparation. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy is employed to analyze the chemical states of elements for the samples. The three representative binding energy magnitudes for O, Ni, and Cu reside at 534, 857, and 979 eV, consecutively. The saturation magnetization constricts with the elevation of Ni2+ content, while the magnetic hysteresis loop resembles the superparamagnetic attitude. The optical spectra present the possibility of direct and indirect transitions in the prepared nanoceramics. Energy gap (value and type), refractive index, and real and imaginary dielectric constant were extracted. The energy gap approaches 3.75 eV and 3.71 eV for direct and indirect transitions correspondingly with (0.7) Ni2+. The antimicrobial and the toxicity performance of all inspected nanocomposites were conducted against pathogenic microbes. The attained results evidenced that SMZC-0.7Ni possesses energetic antimicrobial potential against all targeted microbes. The investigated SMZC-0.7Ni nanocomposite functioned to eradicate frequent waterborne pathogens in wastewater at an appropriate dose (100 mg/L), demonstrating that SMZC can be utilized as a competent disinfectant in the municipal wastewater decontamination process. Inherently, SMZC-0.7Ni can be employed as an excellent nano-weapon against multiple dangerous microorganisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Formation of electrogenic microbial biofilm on the electrode is critical for harvesting electrical power from wastewater in microbial biofuel cells (MFCs). Although the knowledge of bacterial community structures in the biofilm is vital for the rational design of MFC electrodes, an in-depth study on the subject is still awaiting. Herein, we attempt to address this issue by creating electrogenic biofilm on modified graphite anodes assembled in an air–cathode MFC. The modification was performed with reduced graphene oxide (rGO), polyaniline (PANI), and carbon nanotube (CNTs) separately. To accelerate the growth of the biofilm, soybean-potato composite (plant) powder was blended with these conductive materials during the fabrication of the anodes. The MFC fabricated with PANI-based anode delivered the current density of 324.2 mA cm−2, followed by CNTs (248.75 mA cm−2), rGO (193 mA cm−2), and blank (without coating) (151 mA cm−2) graphite electrodes. Likewise, the PANI-based anode supported a robust biofilm growth containing maximum bacterial cell densities with diverse shapes and sizes of the cells and broad metabolic functionality. The alpha diversity of the biofilm developed over the anode coated with PANI was the loftiest operational taxonomic unit (2058 OUT) and Shannon index (7.56), as disclosed from the high-throughput 16S rRNA sequence analysis. Further, within these taxonomic units, exoelectrogenic phyla comprising Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes were maximum with their corresponding level (%) 45.5, 36.2, and 9.8. The relative abundance of Gammaproteobacteria, Clostridia, and Bacilli at the class level, while Pseudomonas, Clostridium, Enterococcus, and Bifidobacterium at the genus level were comparatively higher in the PANI-based anode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]