Nickel ferrite/zinc oxide nanocomposite: Investigating the photocatalytic and antibacterial properties

A facile strategy was used for the synthesis of nickel ferrite/zinc oxide (NiFe2O4/ZnO) nanocomposite via an ultra-sonication method and observed its recyclability and photostability with enhanced visible light-driven photocatalytic performance. The photo degradation activities of as-synthesized photocatalysts were investigated using various dyes including methylene blue, crystal violet and methyl orange under solar light irradiation. Prepared material degrades 49.2% methyl orange, 44.4% methyl blue and 41.3% crystal violet in 40 min. Further, the synergistic effect of nickel ferrite and zinc oxide can reduce the probability of recombination of charge carrier and boost the charge separation which leads to remarkable photocatalytic performance. Magnetic properties of nickel ferrite reduces the agglomeration of material and increases the recyclability. The NiFe2O4/ZnO nanocomposites also exhibited better antibacterial activity for Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus, which shows that they can be used for both environmental and biological applications.