Exploring the diverse performance of nickel and cobalt spinel ferrite nanoparticles in hazardous pollutant removal and gas sensing performance

A simple sol–gel combustion process was employed for the creation of MFe₂O₄ (M=Ni, Co) nanoparticles. The synthesized nanoparticles, acting as both photocatalysts and gas sensors, were analyzed using various analytical techniques. MFe₂O₄ (M=Ni, Co) material improved the degradation of methylene blue (MB) under UV-light irradiation, serving as an enhanced electron transport medium. UV–vis studies demonstrated that NiFe₂O₄ achieved a 60% degradation, while CoFe₂O₄ nanostructure exhibited a 76% degradation efficacy in the MB dye removal process. Furthermore, MFe₂O₄ (M=Ni, Co) demonstrated chemosensitive-type sensor capabilities at ambient temperature. The sensor response and recovery times for CoFe₂O₄ at a concentration of 100 ppm were 15 and 20, respectively. Overall, the synthesis of MFe₂O₄ (M=Ni, Co) holds the potential to significantly improve the photocatalytic and gas sensing properties, particularly enhancing the performance of CoFe₂O₄. The observed enhancements make honey MFe₂O₄ (M=Ni, Co) a preferable choice for environmental remediation applications.