ZnFe₂O₄/SiO₂ Nanocomposites Prepared via the Natural Surfactant Morus alba L. as an Excellent Candidate for Drug Delivery Agent

We have successfully synthesized ZnFe2O4/SiO2-Morus alba L. nanoparticles as a drug delivery agent. The nanostructural and optical properties of ZnFe2O4/SiO2-Morus alba L. were evaluated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX) spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. Antibacterial and drug delivery tests were conducted to examine the antibacterial activity and drug delivery performance of the nanoparticles, respectively. The peaks in the XRD patterns indicated the existence of ZnFe2O4 and SiO2 phases at 2 theta = 35.4 degrees and 22 degrees-28 degrees, respectively, in the sample. Meanwhile, the FTIR spectrum showed the functional group of ZnFe2O4-Morus alba L. at wavenumbers of 400-600 cm(-1) and Si-O-Si at 1086 and 950 cm(-1). The Si-O-Fe peak was also detected at 541-575 cm(-1). The calculated bandgap energy was in the range of 3.003-3.218 eV. The TEM and SEM images revealed that the particle size varied in the range of 28.7-47.3 nm and confirmed the formation of a composite. The samples exhibited excellent antibacterial activity and inhibited the growth of S. aureus and E. coli by up to 72% and 78%, respectively. The samples also possessed a desirable doxorubicin (DOX) loading, indicated by the appearance of DOX absorption peaks at wavelengths of 200-250 nm and 450-550 nm. Herein, the increase in SiO2 composition can speed up the DOX release process. Thus, the synthesized samples in this work meet the riteria for drug delivery application.