Construction and synthesis of NiCo2O4 nanozyme for enhanced antibacterial performance

Abstract Developing effective and low-cost enzyme-like nanomaterials to kill bacteria is vital for human health. Herein, nanorod-assembled NiCo 2 O 4 microspheres were prepared though a facile hydrothermal method, andshowed highly enhanced peroxidase-like activity compared to pure Co 3 O 4 due to its large surface area and abundant active sites. The NiCo 2 O 4 possess the ability to catalyze H 2 O 2 to generate large amounts of •O 2− , which can be used for bacteriostatic applications. In particular, the antibacterial system combining the spiky NiCo 2 O 4 particles and a low concentration of H 2 O 2 (100 μ M) exhibits an excellent bacteriostatic efficiency against both Escherichia coli (94.44%) and Staphylococcus aureus (93.45%).