Selective targeted adsorption and inactivation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria by Cr-loaded mixed metal oxides

? LDHs and MMOs was synthesized by ultrasound-assisted one-step co-precipitation. ? MMOs performs the best for Cr(VI) and E. coli_NDM-1 simultaneous removal. ? Possible antibacterial pathways of Cr-MMOs were proposed. Herein we provide a novel high-efficiency nanocomposite for bacterial capture based on mixed metal oxides (MMOs) with deleterious chromium properties. With both the layer structure of layered double hydroxides (LDHs) and the magnetic properties of Fe, MMOs enrich the location of ionic forms on the surface, providing a good carrier for adsorption of the heavy metal Cr(VI). The capacity for adsorption of Cr(VI) by MMOs can be as high as 98.80 mg/g. The prepared Cr(VI)-MMOs achieved extremely expeditious location of gram-negative antibiotic-resistant E. coli_NDM-1 by identifying lipid bilayers. Cr-MMOs with a Cr loading of 19.70 mg/g had the best bactericidal effect, and the concentration of E. coli_NDM-1 was decreased from ~10⁸ to ~10³ CFU/mL after 30 min of reaction. The binding of nitrogen and phosphorus hydrophilic groups to chromate generated realistic models for density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The specific selectivity of MMOs toward bacterial cells was improved by taking Cr(VI) as a transferable medium, thereby enhancing the antibacterial activity of Cr-MMOs. Under the combined action of chemical and physical reactions, Cr(VI)-MMOs achieved high capacity for inactivation of bacteria. Moreover, the metallic elements ratio in Cr-MMOs remained stable in their initial valence states after inactivation. This guaranteed high removal efficiency for both heavy metals and bacteria, allowing recycling of the adsorbent in practical applications.