SYNTHESIS AND ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF COBALT-THIOUREA NANOPARTICLES ON SELECTED WATERBORNE BACTERIAL PATHOGENS

Traditional water treatment technologies have been used to treat wastewater to ensure continuous supply of pure drinking water. However, these have proved costly and ineffective. The use of nanoparticles, mainly to remove microbial contaminants is becoming a major area of research. The aim of this study was to synthesize, characterize and investigate antimicrobial activity of Cobalt-thiorea nanoparticles against selected waterborne pathogenic bacteria. Cobalt-thiourea nanoparticles with different ratios were synthesized via wet chemistry method and characterized through UV-Visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). FTIR spectral studies confirmed that the binding of thiourea with cobalt occurs through sulphur. The TGA curves indicated a two-step decomposition for Co-thiourea nanoparticles ratios. Morphology for ratios (1:1, 1:2, 1:3) were around 10-30 nanometers (nm) and dispersed. Ratio 2:1 particles were around 50 nm and agglomerated with irregular shapes. The X-Ray diffraction confirmed amorphous identity for metallic nanoparticles material. Co/thiourea nanoparticles showed strong antimicrobial activity by causing inhibition of growth for a wide range of Gram negative bacteria with low Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) values. Further research on metallic nanomaterials in water purification systems is needed to overcome the spread of waterborne bacterial infections and antimicrobial resistance.