Excellent Catalytic Performances of Embedded CoFe₂O₄ and TiO₂ Nanoparticles on the Surface of Silica Matrix Toward Reduction of Toxic Cr (VI), Dyes, and Nitroaromatic Compounds

ABSTRACT A novel TiO 2 /CoFe 2 O 4 /SiO 2 magnetic nanocomposite was successfully synthesized using sol–gel and hydrothermal methods. This nanocomposite consists of highly dispersed CoFe 2 O 4 and TiO 2 nanoparticles on the surface of the SiO 2 matrix. The synthesis process involved the utilization of activated carbon, which played a dual role as a support for depositing the CoFe 2 O 4 and TiO 2 nanoparticles and as a rigid pattern for producing the silica matrix that enmeshed the nanoparticles. To study the unique characteristics of the samples, a range of analytical techniques, such as FT‐IR, VSM, XRD, SEM, N 2 adsorption–desorption analysis, BET and EDX were employed. We carried out a complete examination of the catalytic performance of the TiO 2 /CoFe 2 O 4 /SiO 2 nanocomposite for the reduction of different substances, including methyl orange (MO), safranin O (SO), methylene blue (MB), rhodamine B (RhB), chromium (VI) ions, and nitroaromatic compounds such as 2‐nitrophenol (2‐NP), 4‐nitroaniline (4‐NA), 2‐nitroaniline (2‐NA), and 4‐nitrophenol (4‐NP). The findings of our study demonstrate the remarkable efficacy of the TiO 2 /CoFe 2 O 4 /SiO 2 nanocomposite in efficiently reducing dyes, Cr (VI), and nitroaromatic compounds to their desired forms in environmentally friendly aqueous solutions. Notably, the nanocomposite stands out due to its simple synthesis process, effortless recyclability, and its convenient separation by a magnet.