Green synthesis of metallic nanoparticles and synergistic photocatalysis and antimicrobial potential of CoFe2O4@α-Fe2O3 hybrid nanostructures

This study evaluates the effectiveness of CoFe₂O₄@α-Fe₂O₃ hybrid nanoparticles in the photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) dye. The nanoparticles prepared via green synthesis, with Colocasia leaf extract, were confirmed by XRD to possess a spinel cubic structure, while SEM analysis showed agglomerated morphology with the particle size of ∼65 nm with the surface area of 25.995 m 2 /g. Photocatalytic performance was tested under varying dye concentrations, catalyst doses, and pH conditions. Notably, 250 mg of the hybrid catalyst achieved 88 % MB degradation within 1 h and 95.5 % after 4 h in a 100-ppm solution. Optimal performance—97.3 % degradation—was achieved using 200 mg of catalyst at pH 11 under visible light. The material also demonstrated substantial degradation efficiency against commercial dye (72.17 ± 1.87 % in 1 h) and industrial effluent (88.59 ± 1.44 % in 3 h). Beyond photocatalytic applications, the synthesized nanoparticles exhibited promising antioxidant properties and strong antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus . These findings highlight the CoFe₂O₄@α-Fe₂O₃ hybrid nanoparticles as a multifunctional material with excellent potential for environmental remediation and biomedical applications.