Green synthesis of ferrimagnetic Fe3O4 – C nanocomposite for effective photocatalytic degradation of histopathological dyes

Iron (II, III) oxide and carbon nano heterostructures (Fe 3 O 4 -C NCs) were produced using agricultural waste-derived wheatgrass extract (WGE) as a reducing and stabilizing agent, illustrating a novel, eco-friendly, and simple green synthetic technique. UV-Vis, XRD, XPS, SEM, TEM, IR, VSM, ESR, DLS, BET, and TGA instrumentation techniques were used to characterize the Fe 3 O 4 -C NCs fabricated by WGE thoroughly. The crystallinity of the synthesized Fe 3 O 4 -C NCs was confirmed by XRD, which revealed the presence of monoclinic and predominant cubic phases, with a typical crystallite size of 28 nm. The energy of the band gap (1.85 eV) was considered using the Kubelka-Munk function. The synthetic technique has been optimized, and the role of WGE in the synchronized formation of Fe 3 O 4 -C NCs has been investigated. The photocatalytic activity of these green Fe 3 O 4 -C NCs was investigated. A detailed kinetic analysis was carried out for the decomposition of Crystal violet (CV). The nanoparticles containing iron oxides in different oxidation states are potential photocatalysts and display synergistic activity under visible light, the combined effects of adsorption and photocatalysis resulted in the degradation of approximately 85% of the Crystal Violet (CV) dye . These Fe 3 O 4 -C NCs were found to be effective antioxidants with bactericidal activity against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial strains, in addition to photodegradation. The primary objective of this research is to explore a low-cost, promising technique for facile synthesis of nanomaterials with diverse functions.