Characterization, Catalytic and Microbial Activities of Sustainable CoFe2O4 Nanoparticles via Adansonia digitata L. (Baobab) Fruit Pulp Extract Assisted by Microwave Hydrothermal Method

Novel biogenic cobalt ferrite nanoparticles were prepared biologically using Adansonia digitata L. (Baobab) Fruit Pulp Extract, assisted by a microwave heating method. The utilization of Adansonia digitata L. (Baobab) Fruit Pulp Extract assisted by microwave heating is considered an eco-friendly method that is environmentally sustainable and inexpensive in terms of energy consumption and large-scale production. Different techniques were used to characterize plant extract-mediated nanoparticles, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and N2 adsorption–desorption analysis. The XRD analysis revealed single-phase crystalline structures with a mean size of 31.5 nm. In SEM and TEM studies, the nanoparticles took different morphologies, such as regular and spherical shapes. The bio-synthesized nanoparticles showed high removal efficiency as adsorbent components in MO removal, for example, of organic dye. The influences of different factors on the adsorption process, such as MO concentration, solution pH, and doses used, were tested based on the amount of adsorbent used. The kinetic and isotherm study results revealed that pseudo-second-order kinetics models and the Freundlich sorption isotherm model fit the adsorption process of MO on nano adsorbents well. Additionally, the antimicrobial assessment of CoFe2O4 NPs was tested against five species of human pathogenic bacteria, as well as one fungal species. The results show that CoFe2O4 NPs exhibit higher inhibition activity against the examined microorganisms.