Bioconjugate synthesis, phytochemical analysis, and optical activity of NiFe2O4 nanoparticles for the removal of ciprofloxacin and Congo red from water

Abstract In this paper, Jr .NiFe 2 O 4 nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized first time using the leaves extract of Juglans regia via a straightforward process. The physio and phytochemical analysis of plant confirm the presence of macromolecules which function as bio-reductant and stabilize the nanoparticles. The Jr .NiFe 2 O 4 NPs were characterized by UV–visible, FTIR spectroscopy, PXRD pattern, SEM and TGA/DTA analysis. The nanoparticles proved to be optically active having a value of indirect bandgap of energy in the range of 1.53 eV. The Jr .NiFe 2 O 4 NPs have the ability in scavenging 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl hydrate (DPPH) free radicals and showed 58.01% ± 1.2% scavenging activity at 100 µg/mL concentrations. The photocatalytic degradation study of ciprofloxacin (CIP) and Congo red (CR) reveals that the highest degradation rate was acquired for CIP using pH = 3, at 254 nm, while 85% of removal rate was analysed for CR. The kinetic studies in case of CR removal followed pseudo-first-order model with thermodynamic parameters (∆G° = − 5.87 kJ mol −1 K, ΔH° = 1393.50 kJ mol −1 and ΔS° = 22.537 kJ mol −1 K) with error analysis. Overall, these data recommend an innovative inspiring application of a plant-mediated synthesis of Jr .NiFe 2 O 4 NPs.