https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/s13360-025-06105-6
Regular Article
Plasma–solution interaction as green pathway to synthesize novel hybrid nanoparticles for medical sterilization (catheter sterilization)
1
Department of Physics, College of Science, Mustansiriyah University, Baghdad, Iraq
2
Department of Biology, College of Science, Mustansiriyah University, Baghdad, Iraq
a
raghad.almaliki@uomustansiriyah.edu.iq
Received:
24
November
2024
Accepted:
9
February
2025
Published online:
24
February
2025
Advanced plasma physics research has led to the development of nonthermal plasma devices. Nonthermal plasma contains reactive species that are useful in synthesizing biological nanomaterials and improving human health. This study reports the synthesis of a hybrid nanocomposite using an environmentally friendly approach for medical sterilization. The plasma device operates at atmospheric pressure, with an applied AC high voltage of 6 kV and a flow of argon gas of 2 (L/min). The physical and biological features were thoroughly examined using various techniques. AgO core and AgO@MgO core@shell NPs with average crystallite sizes of 42 nm and 25 nm, respectively, have their crystal structures verified by X-ray diffraction. Field emission scanning electron microscopy analysis demonstrated spherical dark agglomerated particles surrounding the bright agglomerated particles. This might be related to the different surface characteristics of MgO shell NPs loaded on AgO core NPs. The EDX analysis confirmed the presence of Ag, Mg, and O as the predominant components, confirming the synthesis of our material. The transmission electron microscopy examination confirmed the success of plasma technology in synthesizing spherical AgO and AgO@MgO NPs with an average diameter of 13 ± 0.6 and 28 ± 10.35 nm, respectively. Based on the analysis of optical properties, both materials have a sharp peak near 300 nm, indicating strong absorption in this region with an energy gap of 3.7 eV for AgO and 2.48 eV for AgO@MgO NPs. Antibiofilm results of AgO@MgO NPs with a dose of 0.0055 µg/mL had the same antibiofilm activity as pure AgO core NPs alone with a dose of 0.55 µg/mL. In addition, samples appear to have excellent activity against the adherence of biofilm-associated E. coli isolates on the surface of urinary catheters.
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© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Società Italiana di Fisica and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2025
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
