Green synthesis of Cu0.5Ni0.5Fe2O4 nanoferrites using honey for enhanced photocatalytic crystal violet dye degradation and antibacterial activity

Developing eco-friendly magnetic photocatalysts through sustainable synthesis routes is a key strategy for extending green technologies aimed at obtaining clean water. Their distinctive magnetic, surface, and catalytic properties have contributed to this interest. Herein, a renewable honey-mediated green synthesis strategy is developed to fabricate Cu 0.5 Ni 0.5 Fe 2 O 4 mixed spinel nanoferrites (CNF) by following the key principles of green chemistry, which involve the use of bio-based reagents, aqueous media, and reduced chemical waste. Characterization by XRD, SEM/EDS, TEM, UV–Vis, and FTIR techniques validates the formation of Cu 0.5 Ni 0.5 Fe 2 O 4 heterostructure with an average crystallite size of ~110 nm. As-prepared CNF photocatalyst exhibits superior UV-light-driven photocatalytic activity for the degradation of Crystal Violet (CV) and Alizarin Red S, showing 91.3% removal of CV in 120 min at low catalyst dosage. The enhanced activity is attributed to the synergistic interactions between Cu–Ni ferrites, facilitating effective charge separation and the generation of reactive oxygen species for dye mineralization. Moreover, CNF manifests significant antibacterial activity, especially against Gram-positive bacteria, which further supports the material’s multifunctionality in water remediation. Consequently, the current work presents a sustainable, inexpensive, and scalable method to produce multifunctional ferrite photocatalysts suitable for environmentally safe wastewater treatment and antimicrobial applications.