Magnetically separable NiZn-ferrite/CeO₂ nanorods/CNT ternary composites for photocatalytic removal of organic pollutants

Water scarcity and contamination are the foremost global one health challenges, which require immediate nano/biotechnology–based innovative interventions. Hybrid nanocomposites have emerged as novel nanoplatforms for wastewater remediation through photocatalytic degradation of persistent organic pollutants. This unprecedented study reports the economical fabrication of novel nanoplatforms based on Ni_0.5Zn_0.5Fe₂O₄ and CeO₂ (using the modified hydrothermal method) and their binary and ternary hybrid nanocomposites of Ni_0.5Zn_0.5Fe₂O₄/CeO₂ and Ni_0.5Zn_0.5Fe₂O₄/CeO₂/multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) (using facile ultra-sonication method) respectively, for water health management. The engineered nanocomposites were evaluated for the Z-scheme mechanism using morphological (SEM, TEM), structural (XRD), optical (UV–Visible spectroscopy), magnetic (VSM), electronic and compositional (XPS) analyses and employed for wastewater remediation. The ternary hybrid composites exhibit excellent photocatalytic degradation efficacy (93.5%) for removing rose bengal (RB) dye from wastewater on UV illumination. The high dye-removal efficacy of ternary hybrid is attributed to the suitable band gap positions of Ni_0.5Zn_0.5Fe₂O₄ and CeO₂ metal oxides enhancing its photodegradation efficiency on UV illumination, and to the MWCNT enhancing the recombination time of photogenerated electron-hole pairs during dye-removal phenomena. Owing to their excellent performance and robust stability, the engineered ternary composites possess enormous potential for degrading diversified organic pollutants for wastewater treatment and contribute to One Health management, where photocatalytic degradation attributes are a prerequisite.