Science of the Total Environment 872 (2023) 162212

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Science of the Total Environment

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/scitotenv

Review

Green synthesis of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles using plant extracts and their

applications: A review
Ngoan Thi Thao Nguyen a, Thuy Thi Thanh Nguyen b, Duyen Thi Cam Nguyen a, , Thuan Van Tran a,
⁎ ⁎
a
Institute of Applied Technology and Sustainable Development, Nguyen Tat Thanh University, 298-300A Nguyen Tat Thanh, District 4, Ho Chi Minh City 755414, Viet Nam
b
Department of Chemical Engineering and Processing, Nong Lam University, Thu Duc District, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Viet Nam

H I G H L I G H T S G R A P H I C A L A B S T R A C T

• Green synthesis and multiple applications

of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles were high-
lighted.
• The effect of bio-mediated synthesis con-
ditions on properties of ZnFe2O4 nanopar-
ticles was discussed.
• Green ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles showed
good photocatalytic, adsorption, and bio-
medical performance.
• Several limitations and prospects of green
ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles were proposed.

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Editor: Huu Hao Ngo Magnetic nanoparticles, particularly ZnFe2O4 are of enormous significance in biomedical and water treatment fields.
However, chemical synthesis of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles endures some major limitations, e.g., the use of toxic sub-
Keywords: stances, unsafe procedure, and cost-ineffectiveness. Biological methods are more preferable approaches since they
ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles take advantages of biomolecules available in plant extract serving as reducing, capping, and stabilizing agents. Herein,
Biosynthesis
we review plant-mediated synthesis and properties of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles for multiple applications in catalytic and
Plant extract
Applications
adsorption performance, biomedical, catalyst, and others. Effect of several factors such as Zn2+/Fe3+/extract ratio,
and calcination temperature on morphology, surface chemistry, particle size, magnetism and bandgap energy of ob-
tained ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles was discussed. The photocatalytic activity and adsorption for removal of toxic dyes, an-
tibiotics, and pesticides were also evaluated. Main results of antibacterial, antifungal and anticancer activities for
biomedical applications were summarized and compared. Several limitations and prospects of green ZnFe2O4 as an al-
ternative to traditional luminescent powders have been proposed.

Contents

1. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
2. Green synthesis of ZnFe2O4 using plant extracts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2.1. Advantages of plant extracts for ZnFe2O4 synthesis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2.2. Selection of plant sources for ZnFe2O4 synthesis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

⁎ Corresponding authors.
E-mail addresses: ntcduyen@ntt.edu.vn (D.T.C. Nguyen), tranvt@ntt.edu.vn ttran@gradcenter.cuny.edu (T.V. Tran).

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162212
Received 1 December 2022; Received in revised form 18 January 2023; Accepted 9 February 2023
Available online 14 February 2023
0048-9697/© 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
N.T.T. Nguyen et al. Science of the Total Environment 872 (2023) 162212

2.3. The presence of phytochemicals in different plant extracts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

2.4. Reducing power of different plant extracts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2.5. Formation of plant-mediated ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
3. Properties of green ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
3.1. Morphology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
3.2. Particles size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
3.3. Surface chemistry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
3.4. Magnetism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
3.5. Optical bandgap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
4. Applications of green ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
4.1. Photocatalytic performance of green ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
4.2. Adsorption performance of green ZnFe2O4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
4.3. Electrochemical applications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
4.4. Biomedical applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
4.5. Catalysis applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
5. Prospects of green ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
6. Limitations and challenges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
7. Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Funding information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Compliance with ethical standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Code availability. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Ethics approval . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Consent to participate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Consent for publication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
CRediT authorship contribution statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Availability of data and material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Declaration of competing interest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Acknowledgment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Appendix A. Supplementary data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

1. Introduction
Nowadays, the advent of nanotechnology has contributed positively to
solving critical global problems such as climate change and pandemic dis-
eases. Nanotechnology allows to manipulate/design nanometric scaled par-
ticles; thereby, accessing to structural characterization and exploring
unprecedented results. As the size of particles is nano-scaled down, they ex-
hibit superior characteristics in comparison with bulk particles (Ghaffari-
Moghaddam et al., 2014). As a result, nanoparticles have been increasingly
playing a central role in catalysis (Ndolomingo et al., 2020), chemical in-
dustry (Pagar et al., 2020), electronics and electro-optical (Hashim,
2020), biomedical (Malik et al., 2022), and agricultural devices (Hazarika
et al., 2022).
There are different types of metallic nanoparticles such as copper, zinc,
titanium, magnesium, gold, and silver (Roseline and Arunkumar, 2022).
Besides, spinel ferrite nanoparticles with transition metal sites (e.g., Mn,
Cu, Co, Zn, …) have attracted great attention, due to their special proper-
ties, such as ferromagnetic, and electrical properties (Soufi et al., 2021).
Each spinel ferrite includes a tight arrangement of oxygen ions in a unit
cell. Interstitial space lies on between the layers of oxygen ions, forming
two types including tetrahedral sublattice (A) and octahedral sublattice
(B), which are based on the coordination of the nearby neighboring oxygen
ions (Tatarchuk et al., 2019). Among spinel ferrites, ZnFe2O4 is one of the
most prominent thanks to a perfect combination of Fe-and Zn-based mate-
rials. Non-magnetic Zn2+ cations are located at the A sites and the magnetic
Fe3+ cations are located at the B sites (Thavarani et al., 2022). Zn has stable
biocompatibility while Fe has an outstanding ferromagnetism. This advan-
tage makes ZnFe2O4 useful for biomedical and electrochemical applications
(Sonu et al., 2021).
Over the past years, many physical and chemical methods have been
proposed to synthesize ZnFe2O4 nanomaterials such as solvothermal
(Shaterian et al., 2021), hydrothermal (Tiwari et al., 2022), sol-gel
(Hossain et al., 2021), co-precipitation (Jyothish et al., 2022), thermal de-
composition (Tomar and Jeevanandam, 2020), solution combustion (Guo
et al., 2021), sonication methods (Yadav et al., 2021), etc. However,
these methods are generally energy intensive and toxic, adversely influenc-
ing human health and the environment. For example, reducing agents such
as citric acid, NaBH4 and oleyl amine are corrosive, formaldehyde, CO,
N2H4 are very toxic, flammable and irritating (Soni et al., 2021). Therefore,
the synthesis of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles through biological mediation
(plants, microorganisms, algae, etc.) has more advantages of high biocom-
patibility, non-toxic reagents, low energy requirements, and fast, easy-to-
handle, easy-to-scale, and facile synthesis of nanoparticles than chemical
and physical synthesis pathways. In other word, plants have been used as
a “biofactory” in the production of metal nanoparticles because they are in-
expensive with local availability. Important phytochemical components
(terpenoids, flavonoids, etc.) with functional groups like amine, hydroxyl,
and carboxylic available in plant extract acts as reducing agent in the syn-
thesis of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles (Devi et al., 2020; Singh, 2022). They are
also well known as a natural stabilizer to ensure the long-term reactivity
of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles. For instance, Amani et al. (2022) synthesized
ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles using rutin from Ruta graveolens extract with the
magnetization of 5.9 emu/g. Ghoran et al. (2020) reported that the biosyn-
thesis of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles using polyphenol-rich extract of Citrus
aurantium flowers. Fabiani et al. (2021b) indicated flavonoid group in
Antidesma bunius fruit extract could act as reducing and stabilizing agents
of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles.
This review concentrates majorly on the plant extract-mediated fabrica-
tion using natural compounds extracted from plants and potential of
ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles. Specifically, some structural characteristics of
ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles are discussed with the emphasis on surface chemis-
try, particle size, magnetic and optical properties. Prominent applications
include biomedical, catalysis, adsorption, photocatalysis, and even electro-
chemical applications. Some prospects of green ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles in
agriculture and latent fingerprints are also highlighted, marking a step for-
ward for this material in the future. To our best knowledge, this is the first
critical review on the plant extract-mediated synthesis and application of
green ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles for a wide range of applications.

2
N.T.T. Nguyen et al.
2. Green synthesis of ZnFe2O4 using plant extracts
2.1. Advantages of plant extracts for ZnFe2O4 synthesis
Among the abundant natural resources, plants are readily available re-
sources, convenient, cost-effective and especially effective in synthesizing
nanomaterials. Recently, the green synthesis of nanomaterials such as
ZnFe2O4 often uses plant tissues instead of other biological sources such
as bacteria, fungi, lichen and algae (Ghoran et al., 2020). It is known that
the use of plant-biomediated materials is less harmful to health, because
some fungi or bacteria can release several toxins during the process (Xu
et al., 2020). In addition, the culturing of microorganisms often takes
long time and great effort, while many types of strange colonies may ap-
pear. The abundance of phytochemicals found in any part (e.g., leaves,
flowers, stems, bark, fruits, roots, etc.) of the plant, makes it easy to collect
(Bao et al., 2021). Some components such as reducing sugar, flavonoids,
quercetin, amino acids and vitamins, saponins are present available in
plant extracts, which are key to synthesis material (Salachna et al., 2021).
The phytochemicals in plant extract act as reducing, complexing and stabi-
lizing materials (Aldeen et al., 2022). The total duration for the synthesis of
metal nanoparticles can be as short as a few minutes or a few hours, com-
pared with many days for microorganism-biomediated methods as a result
of culture and incubation.
2.2. Selection of plant sources for ZnFe2O4 synthesis
On Earth planet, thousands of plant species are currently growing and
developing in a variety of ways. They are strongly adaptable, reproductive,
and spreading creatures. Therefore, plant sources offer a feasible option for
the synthesis of nanoparticles using their extracts. The selection of plant
species for the synthesis of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles can be considered
based on some criteria to reach critically green, safe and effective targets.
The first criterion is that suitable plant species should be locally available
and easy to harvest. This requirement aids to lessen transportation and har-
vesting costs. Indeed, many studies have recently carried out the selection
of locally plant species as raw materials for the synthesis of ZnFe2O4
based nanomaterials (Dhiman et al., 2023; Hassanisaadi et al., 2021; Tran
et al., 2022b). Secondly, selecting plant species for the synthesis of
ZnFe2O4 should avoid allergenic and highly toxic species that affect
humans and animals upon contact. More importantly, as-synthesized
ZnFe2O4 based nanomaterials regarding human trials must be strictly con-
sidered for the toxicity of origin plant extracts, which are used to synthesize
them. Ultimately, the selected plants should contain many important phyto-
chemicals that exhibit high chelating and reducing functions for green syn-
thesis of ZnFe2O4.
According to Table S1, several plants are very rich in natural com-
pounds such as phenolic acid, quercetine, flavonoids, isoflavones, etc. To
determine these compounds from plant extracts for synthesis purposes, a
number of qualitative and quantitative methods have been developed
(Dias et al., 2021). Specifically, micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatog-
raphy (MEKC) is a commonly used method for the detection of naturally oc-
curring polyphenols in plant extracts (Yu et al., 2022). For reducing sugars,
evaporative light scattering detection combined with high pressure liquid
chromatography is helpful to separate and identify phytochemicals in the
plant species (Bai et al., 2022). In addition to the mentioned techniques,
the presence of functional compounds in plant extracts can be tested
quickly and conveniently by colorimetric method. For example, polyphenol
content can be determined according to the Folin–Ciocalteu colorimetric
method. In this method, the Folin–Ciocalteu reagent oxidizes the −OH
groups in the plant extract, giving the extract a blue color (Sun et al.,
2022). Moreover, reducing sugars are aldose-containing sugars that are ca-
pable of acting as a reducing agent and can be recognized by 3,5-
dinitrosalicylic acid (DNS) reagents. This method is based on the chromo-
genic reaction between reducing sugars and DNS reagents. The color inten-
sity of the formed compound is determined by UV–Vis spectrophotometer
and easy to convert into numerical values. The color intensity value of the
3
Science of the Total Environment 872 (2023) 162212
compound formed is proportional to the concentration of reducing sugars
within a certain range (Teixeira and Santos, 2022). The flavonoid content
can be determined based on the aluminum chloride colorimetric method.
Accordingly, the extract is mixed with AlCl3 and CH3COOK, the absorbance
can be measured spectrophotometrically to detect the presence of flavo-
noids (Nguyen et al., 2020). As such, the selection of plant species should
be partly screened by these developed techniques before the synthesis of
ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles using plant extract can initiate.
2.3. The presence of phytochemicals in different plant extracts
Over the past centuries, many botanicals have been studied in the phar-
maceutical field, as well as found useful for conventional human treatment
therapies because they contain a large number of bioactive compounds act-
ing as natural medicines. Many antioxidant compounds including phenolic
acids, flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids and tocopherols, etc. can be also de-
tected in the plant species (Rao et al., 2021). Several major phytochemicals
are considered to confer antioxidant activity to plants, making significant
contributions in the fight against many pathological conditions such as can-
cer, diabetes, aging, cardiovascular and other degenerative diseases (Singh
Makhaik et al., 2021). In some cases, phytochemicals in plants are extracted
to produce the aroma of essential oils. In general, most plant species contain
high levels of phytochemicals such as flavonoids, phenolic acids, amino
acids and reducing sugars. For example, Yu et al. (2021) reported that the
total high phenolic acids content of rosemary leaf (7.46 mg g−1), sage
leaf (7.09 mg g−1), pomegranate leaf (16.22 mg g−1) with a variety of de-
rivatives including gallic acid, vanillic acid, caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid,
and neochlorogenic acid. For flavonoid, total flavonids contents were deter-
mined at 14.35, 37.65, 49.21 mg g−1 for rosemary leaf, rue leaf and stem,
peppermint leaf and stem extracts, respectively. In another study,
Nasiruddin and Sinha (2020) also pointed out that Gynura procumbens
shows that the main chemical components including amino acids
(16.34 mg g−1), soluble sugars (1.81 mg g−1), total chlorophyll
(0.52 mg g−1), chlorophyll-a (0.34 mg g−1), chlorophyll-b
(0.145 mg g−1). In addition to the common phytochemicals found in
many different plant species, there are also unique phytochemicals that
are specific to each plant type. For example, hesperidin is a flavanone gly-
coside (flavonoid) found in citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, grapefruit,
and tangerines (Gandhi et al., 2020). Lee et al. (2022) reported that about
35.5–95.3 % of hesperidin exists in the extracts of 7 citrus species involving
yuzu, bitter orange, satsuma mandarin, lime, grapefruits, lemon, orange.
Camphor is also considered to be a unique component of the wood of the
camphor tree (Cinnamonum camphora) or a few other related trees in the
laurel family, notably Ocotea usambarensis of East Africa (Ahmad et al.,
2016).
The content of phytochemicals present in plant extracts depends signif-
icantly on external factors such as climatic conditions, water and soil condi-
tions, geography, nutrient, etc. The same plant species but grown in
different places and different geography may have different types or con-
centrations of phytochemicals. For example, Ekiert et al. (2020) conducted
a survey on the content of phytochemicals in the plant extracts of Artemisia
vulgaris grown in different countries. As a result, Artemisia vulgaris grown in
Brazil had 37.45 % caryophyllene and 16.17 % germacrene D in their ex-
tracts. In France, the main components of this plant are 1,8-cineole
(23 %) and terpinen-4-ol (19 %). Meanwhile, Artemisia vulgaris grown in
Italy had the highest camphor content (47 %). In Vietnam, components
such as β-caryophyllene (24 %), β-cubebene (12 %) and β-elemene (6 %)
are the main components found in this plant extract. In another work,
Debasish et al. (2021) conducted a survey on the content of active ingredi-
ents present in the extracts of Hygrophilla difformis plants grown in two
places (Uluberia and Kharagpur) in West Bengal, India. According to the
main findings, the total vitamin C content extracted from the plants culti-
vated in Uluberia (189.9 mg g−1) was twice higher than those cultivated
in Kharagpur (89.77 mg g−1). These results suggested that the difference
in the external condition can lead to the difference in the phytochemical
contents in the same plants.
N.T.T. Nguyen et al.
2.4. Reducing power of different plant extracts
The difference in reducing power between plant extract may be due to
the specificity of each plant species, which is influenced by many natural
factors such as climate, soil, water, and season. Different plant species
may not contain the same chemical composition, resulting in the fact that
the reducing power of plant extracts from different species can vary. More-
over, phytochemicals from plant extract play a different role in the synthe-
sis of nanoparticles. Indeed, the extract from several plant parts such as
berry fruits and guava leaves may contain phenolic acids, polyphenols, fla-
vonoids, vitamin C, etc., which exhibit a strong reducing power (Nguyen
et al., 2022a). Other plant species can contain high levels of active ingredi-
ents such as quercetine, daidzein, chlorogenic acid, and etc. are dominant,
which exhibit a strong chelating power.
For instance, Dittrichia viscosa is proved to have the presence of 18 phy-
tochemical compounds with 20.54 % of trimethylsilyl-meso-inositol as a
main compound with a good antioxidant capacity (Mssillou et al., 2022).
Other compounds such as 5(4H)-thebenidinone (16.80 %) and bis
(methylthio)-4-(2-phenylethenyl) (9.76 %) are alkaloid compounds with
antioxidant and anti-free radical activity. As a result, this plant can supply
many compounds with high reducing power for green synthesis of nanopar-
ticles. At the same trend, Ibrahim et al. (2022) discovered that Rosmarinus
officinalis contains high levels of phenolic diterpenes, e.g., rosmanol,
carnosol, carnosic, and rosmadial acids and triterpenoids, e.g., betulinic,
oleanolic, and ursolic acids representing as the most abundant compound
(~50 %). Therefore, the authors suggested that this plant species might
offer a better reducing power.
By contrast, Cissus quadrangularis is found to contain high concentra-
tions of active ingredients such as quercetine, daidzein and trans-
Fig. 1. An illustration of synthesis procedure of ZnO-doped ZnFe2O4 by green bio-hydrothermal method with some steps; (i) Zn2+ and Fe3+ were dissolved with surfactant in
H2O, (ii) the guava leaf extract was added under stirring magnetically to obtain a brown precipitate, (iii) this solid was then transferred to Teflon-lined stainless autoclave at
180 °C for 12 h, (iv) the solid was calcined at high temperature to obtain ZnO-doped ZnFe2O4 nanocomposites.
Reprinted from reference Sahoo et al. (2021).
4
Science of the Total Environment 872 (2023) 162212
Resveratrol-3-O-glucoside with adjacent OH− groups on the aromatic
ring, demonstrating a high chelating power in the synthesis of nanoparti-
cles (Nguyen et al., 2023). Quercetin is known to be a highly chelating com-
pound that supports the formation and growth of crystals as well as the
stability of nanoparticles. Tambunan et al. (2017) pointed out that Ageratum
conyzoides exhibits predominantly quercetine content in the range of
40.7–54.9 ppm with main compounds such as quercetin-3-O-glycoside,
quercetin-3-O-glycoside, hyperoside, kaempferol-3-O-pentose, kaempferol-
7-O-rhamnopyranoside, eupalestin, luteoline, quercetin-3-O-rutinoside,
luteolin-7-O-glucuronide, apigenin. Therefore, these plants may have higher
chelating power and lower reducing power than other plants.
2.5. Formation of plant-mediated ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles
The precursor salts used for the synthesis of green ZnFe2O4 nanoparti-
cles or ZnFe2O4 based composite are mainly Fe(NO3)3, FeCl2, FeCl3, Zn
(CH3CO2)2, and Zn(NO3)2 as shown in Fig. 1. Typically, Fe2+ or Fe3+
ions together with Zn2+ undergo complexation with the help of plant ex-
tracts and calcination, then ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles are formed (Surendra
et al., 2020b). Normally, the precursor/extract ratio (g/mL) was reported
to be 1:2, 1:3, and 1:10 (Fabiani et al., 2020; Fabiani et al., 2021;
Korotkova et al., 2019). It can be divided into two main periods of
ZnFe2O4 material synthesis, i.e., (i) complexation stage and (ii) calcination
stage. Complexation stage is under reaction of precursor salt and plant ex-
tract, which takes between 10 min and 120 min to complete. During this
process, the interaction between the metal ions and the phytochemicals
in the plant extract takes place. Biomolecules in the extract such as rutin,
flavonoids, saponins, vitamins and proteins can act as reducing agents
and complexing with metal ions (Rajeshkumar and Bharath, 2017). To be
N.T.T. Nguyen et al.
more specific, functional groups such as hydroxyl or carboxyl can perform
complexation and chelating of metal ions, thereby increasing the stability
and reducing the clustering of the resulting material. Indeed, used Ruta
graveolens to extract rutin - a precursor flavonoid to synthesis ZnFe2O4
nanoparticles. Accordingly, the adjacent hydroxyl groups (–OH) in rutin
contribute to the formation of the octahedral complex as the metal ions-
phytochemical. Therefore, the complexation process may be safe, fast,
and efficient.
After complexation, calcination is carried out to form nanoparticles for
the final step of material synthesis. The calcination temperature for the syn-
thesis of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles is usually around 450, 500, and up to
700 °C for 60–240 min as shown in Fig. S1 in the supplementary data doc-
ument (Fabiani et al., 2021; Surendra et al., 2020b). The process is consid-
ered to be a step that consumes the most energy and time. To address this
obstacle, the thermal calcination of ZnFe2O4 process can also be supported
by microwave irradiation energy (900 W). For example, Suresh Kumar et al.
(2021) synthesized green ZnFe2O4 material using Citrus limon extract with
the support of microwave irradiation. All the calcination process took
only 15 min, saving the time considerably. Therefore, it can be suggested
that using the microwave-assisted method to shorten the heating time
and save energy, making the synthesis of nanomaterials can be industrially
scaled up.
Various synthesis methods are applied to produce ZnFe2O4 nanoparti-
cles such as alkaline addition, no alkali addition, bio-hydrothermal, probe
sonication, green co-precipitation and microwave-assisted combustion as
listed in Table 1. As a statistic dataset from the previous studies, Fig. S2
shows the diversity of synthesis methods of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles from
plant extracts. Among them, the method without addition of alkaline solu-
tion is the best applied approach (45 %). This trend is more referable to syn-
thesize ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles because the use of toxic chemicals is not
required, minimizing secondary pollution into the environment as well as
the total production cost. Methods for total green synthesis should be ap-
plied to reach a critically safe and clean process.
3. Properties of green ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles
3.1. Morphology
The morphology of green ZnFe2O4 materials can be characterized based
on scanning or transmission electron microscopy analysis. Some of the
main morphologies of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles are spherical, flake, sheet,
cubic, and spongy as shown in Fig. 2 (Kiruthika et al., 2022; Surendra
et al., 2020b; Suresh Kumar et al., 2021; Yang et al., 2022). These shapes
of ZnFe2O4 from plant extract can be chiefly controlled by synthesis factors
such as precursor salt concentration, annealing and calcination time, source
of synthetic materials and calcination temperature (Huang et al., 2019).
Among them, the calcination temperature is often considered as one of
the most important factors to the morphology of the ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles.
It was found that nanoparticles tend to have diverse shapes such as flake,
sheet, cubic, spongy or corel at the low annealing temperature in a range
of 400–500 °C (Table 1). However, the morphology of ZnFe2O4 tends to
be mostly spherical once increasing the calcination temperature to 600 or
700 °C. For example, Surendra et al. (2020a) synthesized ZnFe2O4 material
from Jatropha curcas extract with a calcination temperature of 500 °C and
formed flake shaped nanoparticles. In another study, Surendra et al.
(2020b) again synthesized ZnFe2O4 using Azadirachta indica extract under
the calcination at a temperature of 450 °C. The morphology of obtained
ZnFe2O4 was spongy-shaped. Meanwhile, Amiri et al. (2020) found
ZnFe2O4 material had the shape of coral dust at a synthesis temperature
of 500 °C. As for at 700 °C, Matinise et al. (2018) observed spherical
ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles via the scanning electron spectroscopy images. At
the same trend, Balasubramanian and Murali (2020) performed the synthe-
sis of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles at temperatures 400–600 °C. The resulting ma-
terials were spherically morphological, but tended to cluster with
increasing temperature.
5
Science of the Total Environment 872 (2023) 162212
Although a high proportion of resulting ZnFe2O4 materials are spheri-
cally morphological as statistical data obtained from Fig. S3, the diversity
of their morphology has been reported as show in Table 1. The morpholog-
ical types of ZnFe2O4 materials can be attributed to the phytochemicals
from the plant extracts. These biomolecules are instituted of functional
groups capable of binding and chelating with metal ions; and thereby, cre-
ating phytochemical-metal ion complex with different geometric shapes.
After calcination, as-obtained ZnFe2O4 materials have different morphol-
ogy. By contrast, the ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles synthesized by chemical
methods such as solution combustion method, co-precipitation method
using alkaline solution, hydrothermal technique using surfactant, etc. are
mostly nanospheres in shape. Indeed, Nguyen et al. (2022b) fabricated
ZnFe2O4@ZnO nanocomposite using the solution combustion method
using urea as an additive fuel had a spherical shape. In another study,
Adnan et al. (2021) synthesized ZnFe2O4 material by hydrothermal
method, forming almost spherical nanoparticles. As a result, the control
of the shape of ZnFe2O4 materials in the presence of plant extract is of
great significant for the potential applications such as adsorption,
photocatalysis and biomedicine.
3.2. Particles size
The average particle size of green ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles can be usually
determined by physicochemical techniques such as X-ray diffraction, dy-
namic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy, etc. Almost publi-
cations reported that ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles tend to reach strong
agglomeration as a result of the magnetic interaction between the nanopar-
ticles. As shown in Table 1, the particle sizes of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles and
their nanocomposites are distributed in a wide range, but popularly
<50 nm. Some of the controllable factors that can affect the nanoparticle
size include extraction fluid, calcination temperature, precursor salt/ex-
tract ratio. The calcination temperature is a major contributor to changing
the nanoparticle size. It is thought that as the calcination temperature in-
creases, the crystals tend to cluster and increase in crystallinity, resulting
in increased size of the nanoparticles (Phromma et al., 2020). Indeed,
Matinise et al. (2018) pointed out that the particle size of ZnFe2O4 materials
increased from 7.5 to 17.5 nm when calcination temperatures from 500 to
700 °C. In another study, Kiruthika et al. (2022b) synthesized ZnFe2O4
nanoparticles from Actinidia deliciosa extract with a calcination temperature
of 700 °C. Accordingly, the obtained results revealed an average size of
nanoparticles at 40 nm. Mehdipour et al. (2021) indicated that ZnFe2O4 cal-
cined at 500 °C had a smaller particle size (~9 nm) than that of the study
conducted by Kiruthika et al. (2022b). Regarding the plant extracts, used
Ruta graveolens extract as green precursor to synthesize ZnFe2O4 with a par-
ticle size of 18–32 nm. Using the same plant extract, Amani et al. (2022)
again produced ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles with a larger size of 20–30 nm. In
addition, plants from the Citrus family also attracted much attention from
ZnFe2O4 synthesis studies. For example, Citrus sinensis was used together
with Fe(NO3)3 and Zn(NO3)2 to synthesize ZnFe2O4 with particle size of
30 nm (Krishnan et al., 2021). Suresh Kumar et al. (2021) showed that Cit-
rus limon fruit may contain many phytochemicals suitable for ZnFe2O4 syn-
thesis, yielding a particle size of 25 nm. Compared with the above two
Citrus species, Hafez Ghoran et al. (2020) indicated that ZnFe2O4 had the
smallest particle size with about 15 nm by using Citrus aurantium extract
for the synthesis. Small-sized nanoparticles can bring more benefits to ap-
plications such as biomedical, adsorption, photocatalysis, etc. Therefore,
above concerns are set out to control the factors affecting the particle size
depending on the purpose of the study.
Plant extracts are a key factor to control the particle size of green
ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles. According to Table 1, the particle size of green
ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles synthesized using plant extracts are mainly in the
range from 5 to 50 nm. The histogram in Fig. S4 illustrates the particle
size distribution of plant-mediated synthesized ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles
based on statistic data from the previous studies, finding an average particle
size of 30 nm. With such outcome, the particle size of green ZnFe2O4 nano-
particles seems to be somewhat smaller than that of chemically synthesized
 Table 1
Green synthesis of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles using plant extracts and several physicochemical properties (particle size, morphology, bandgap, surface chemistry, magnetization) of green ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles.
N.T.T. Nguyen et al.

Materials Plant Plant Synthesis method Precursor metal Precursor/extract Calcination Calcination Particles Morphology Band gap Surface chemistry Magnetization References
species tissues ratio (g/mL) temperature time (h) size (eV) (emu/g)
(°C) (nm)

ZnFe2O4 Moringa oleifera Leaves Non-alkaline Fe(NO3)3·9H2O 1:10 (1 h 500–700 2 5–25 Spherical, Not reported Hydroxyl, phenolic Not reported (Matinise et al., 2018)
supplement Zn(NO3)2·6H2O complexation) irregular acids
ZnFe2O4 Jatropha curcas Seeds Non-alkaline Fe(NO3)3·9H2O 1:1 500 Not 5–20 Flake 1.81 Hydroxyl Not reported (Surendra et al., 2020a)
supplement Zn(NO3)2·6H2O reported
ZnFe2O4 Azadirachta indica Leaves Probe sonication Fe(NO3)3·9H2O Not reported 450 3 <100 Spongy 1.8 Hydroxyl, Not reported (Surendra et al., 2020b)
Zn(NO3)2·6H2O carboxylate
ZnFe2O4 Actinidia deliciosa Fruits Non-alkaline Fe(NO3)3·9H2O Not reported 700 4 30–40 Cubic Not reported Hydroxyl, carbonyl, Not reported (Kiruthika et al., 2022)
supplement Zn(NO3)2·6H2O alkane
2+
ZnFe2O4@Cu Aegle marmelos Fruits One-pot green Fe(NO3)3·9H2O Not reported 600 Not 20–25 Spongy Not reported Hydroxyl, carbonyl, Not reported (Surendra et al., 2021)
Zn(NO3)2·6H2O reported alkane
ZnFe2O4 Boswellia carteri Fruits Alkaline FeCl3·6H2O 1:1 (1 h 80 4 20.54 Spherical, Not reported Not reported Not reported (Imraish et al., 2021b)
supplement Zn(CH3CO2) complexation) irregular
2·2H2O
ZnFe2O4 Nyctanthes arbor-tristis Flowers Non-alkaline Fe(NO3)3·9H2O 2:1 400–600 Not 4–12 Spherical 2.08–2.17 Not reported Not reported (Balasubramanian and
supplement Zn(NO3)2·6H2O reported Murali, 2020)
ZnFe2O4 Tristaniopsis Leaves Non-alkaline Fe(NO3)3·9H2O 1:10 (1 h 700 2 9 Not Not reported Hydroxyl, phenol Not reported (Fabiani et al., 2020)
merguensis supplement Zn(NO3)2·6H2O complexation) reported
ZnFe2O4 Antidesma bunius Flowers Alkaline Fe(NO3)3·9H2O 1:2 700 Not Not Not Not reported Hydroxyl, aldehyde Not reported (Fabiani et al., 2021)
supplement Zn(NO3)2·6H2O reported reported reported
ZnFe2O4 Citrus aurantium Flowers Green FeCl2·4H2O Not reported 80 Not 9–20 Spherical Not reported Hydroxyl, 30 (Hafez Ghoran et al.,
co-precipitation FeCl3·6H2O reported aromatic, etheric, 2020)

6
Zn(CH3CO2) alkane
2·2H2O
ZnFe2O4 Ruta graveolens Leaves Non-alkaline FeCl2·4H2O 1:10 55 48 20–30 Spherical 1.93 Hydroxyl, alkane, 5.9 (Amani et al., 2022)
supplement FeCl3·6H2O amine
Zn(CH3CO2)
2·2H2O
ZnFe2O4 Citrus limon Fruits Microwave-assisted Fe(NO3)3·9H2O 1:1 Not reported 15 25 Spherical, Not reported Hydroxyl 4.23 (Suresh Kumar et al.,
combustion Zn(NO3)2·6H2O cubic 2021)
ZnFe2O4/reduced Citrus sinensis Peels Bio- hydrothermal Fe(NO3)3·9H2O 2:1 400 5 30 Spherical, 1.53 Hydroxyl, carbonyl, Not reported (Krishnan et al., 2021)
graphene oxide Zn(NO3)2·6H2O irregular carboxyl, amine,
carboxylic acid
ZnFe2O4@alginic acid Brown algae (alginic Not Alkaline Fe(NO3)3·9H2O Not reported 80 2 70 Spherical Not reported Hydroxyl, alginic 17.06 (Maleki et al., 2019)
acid) reported supplement Zn(NO3)2·6H2O acid, carboxylate
ZnFe2O4-imatinib- Teucrium polium Flower Non-alkaline Fe(NO3)3·9H2O Not reported 500 1 45 Spherical, Not reported Hydroxyl Not reported (Amiri et al., 2020)
liposome supplement Zn(NO3)2·6H2O coral
ZnO- ZnFe2O4 Psidium guajava Leaves Bio- hydrothermal Fe(NO3)3·9H2O Not reported 500 Not 10–20 Spherical Not reported Not reported Not reported (Sahoo et al., 2021)
Zn(NO3)2·6H2O reported
ZnFe2O4-CeO2/BRGO Ocimum tenuiflorum Leaves Non-alkaline Fe(NO3)3·9H2O Not reported Not reported Not 6–20 Spherical, 1.9–2.8 Hydroxyl, Not reported (Barik et al., 2021)
Direct Z-Scheme supplement Zn(NO3)2·6H2O reported flake carboxylate
ZnFe2O4@Ag Scenedesmus obliquus Leaves Non-alkaline Fe(NO3)3·9H2O Not reported Not reported Not <50 Spherical, Not reported Hydroxyl, Not reported (Jodati et al., 2023)
supplement Zn(NO3)2·6H2O reported irregular carboxylate, zinc
ferrite
ZnFe2O4-reduced Emblica officinalis Fruits Alkaline Fe(NO3)3·9H2O Not reported 200 Not 7–9 Flake 1.9–2.3 Hydroxyl, zinc Not reported (Amrutha et al., 2020)
graphene oxide supplement Zn(NO3)2·6H2O reported ferrite, graphene
oxide
ZnFe2O4@SiO2 Tragacanth gum Gum Alkaline Fe(NO3)3·9H2O Not reported 600 1 50 Rod, cubic Not reported Hydroxyl, carbonyl, 19.325 (Etemadinia et al., 2019)
supplement Zn(NO3)2·6H2O alkane 15.363
(composites)
Science of the Total Environment 872 (2023) 162212
N.T.T. Nguyen et al.
Fig. 2. Morphology SEM image of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles from plant extract, (a) flake (from Jatropha curcas extract) (Surendra et al., 2020a), (b) spongy (from Azadirachta
indica extract) (Surendra et al., 2020b), (c) coral (from Teucrium polium extract) (Amiri et al., 2020), (d) TEM image of spherical-ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles (from Nyctanthes arbor-
tristis extract) (Balasubramanian and Murali, 2020).
ones. For example, Tomar and Jeevanandam (2022) exhibited that
ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles produced from the chemical synthesis via the ther-
mal decomposition obtained a particle size of 42.8–57.1 nm. Dimri et al.
(2021) have successfully synthesized ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles with an aver-
age particle size of 50 nm through the citrate combustion method. In an-
other study, Zhang et al. (2019) reported that the particle size of ZnFe2O4
fabricated by the solvothermal method was very large, at 270 nm. It is con-
ceivable that the phytochemicals from plant extract probably exert the for-
mation of ZnFe2O4 in many ways. Specifically, they act as a chelating agent
to complex with metal ions, and hence, preventing the clustering of nano-
particles together during crystal nucleation. Moreover, phytochemicals per-
form a capping function by coating the entire surface of the nanoparticle,
enhancing functionality of green ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles. As such, the pres-
ence of phytochemicals in plant extracts takes main responsibility for the
synthesis of small-sized ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles.
3.3. Surface chemistry
Several physicochemical techniques, i.e., Fourier transform infrared
spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy or quantification by
Boehm titration are used to determine the surface chemistry of green
ZnFe2O4 nanomaterials (N.T.T Nguyen et al., 2022a). The surface chemis-
try of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles is considered based on surface functional
groups, which play a key role in catalytic activities or adsorption perfor-
mance. ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles synthesized using green synthesis method
often exhibit a diverse surface chemistry mainly deriving from phytochem-
icals in plant extracts. Specifically, the main surface chemistry of ZnFe2O4
nanoparticles include hydroxyl, carbonyl, carboxylate, alkane, amine, and
amide as summarized in Table 1. It is suggested that the functionalization
7
Science of the Total Environment 872 (2023) 162212
of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles can increase the stability, high biocompatibility
of this material, exerting better adsorption and photocatalytic performance
(Virkutyte and Varma, 2011). Similar to morphology and particle size, the
surface chemistry of plant extract-mediated ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles may de-
pend on the calcination temperature during the synthesis. During this calci-
nation process, most of organic compounds are decomposed into volatiles
or simple products, e.g., CO2, N2 and H2O (Tran et al., 2022a). Therefore,
if the calcination temperature is too high, the amount of remaining phyto-
chemicals or surface chemistry is very tiny. Indeed, Fabiani et al. (2020)
showed that the calcination temperature at 700 °C to produce ZnFe2O4 par-
ticles from Tristaniopsis merguensis extract can disrupt functional groups
such as carboxyl. At a calcination temperature of 500 °C, Krishnan et al.
(2021) showed a series of functionalization of ZnFe2O4 synthesized from
Citrus sinensis extracts such as hydroxyl, carbonyl, carboxyl, amine, carbox-
ylic acid. Meanwhile, at calcination temperature of 900 °C, Kombaiah et al.
(2017) reported that plant extract-based ZnFe2O4 biosynthesized from
Opuntia dilenii haw extract had a less diverse surface chemistry
(e.g., hydroxyl, carboxyl) than that of studied by Krishnan et al. (2021). Sur-
face functionalization can significantly increase many kinds of main inter-
actions such as electrostatic attraction, hydrogen bonding, and π–π
interaction suitable for adsorption or biomedicine applications (Suresh
et al., 2015). Therefore, much attention to the factors affecting the change
of surface chemistry should be paid.
It can be understood that nanoparticles from plant extracts have a coat-
ing of phytochemicals on their surface. Phytochemicals include many func-
tional compounds such as carbonyl, hydroxyl, methyl, amino, phosphate,
etc. Therefore, the surface chemistry of plant-mediated nanoparticles is
somewhat more diverse than those synthesized by chemical methods. Ac-
cording to Table 1, the surface chemistry of green ZnFe2O4 nanomaterials
N.T.T. Nguyen et al.
from plant extracts is attached by hydroxyl, phenolic acids, carboxylate,
carbonyl, carboxylic acid, amine, etc. Meanwhile, the surface chemistry of
chemically synthesized ZnFe2O4 nanomaterials seems to be poor in func-
tional groups. For example, Manohar et al. (2021) reported that the surface
chemistry of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles from chemical synthesis owns hydroxyl
and carbonyl only. At the same trend, Navidpour and Fakhrzad (2022)
pointed out that the surface chemicals of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles synthe-
sized via the high-energy ball milling method include hydroxyl only de-
tected by FT-IR spectra. The variety of surface chemistry of nanoparticles
from plant extracts compared to chemical/physical methods could help
them improve their performance in different applications. Therefore, the
role of phytochemicals is increasingly emphasized through the study of sur-
face chemistry.
3.4. Magnetism
Magnetic properties are considered as one of the important features of
ferromagnetic materials as a result of aligned interactions of unpaired elec-
trons (d and f electrons). Magnetic nanoparticles have advantages for many
applications such as biomedical, especially in the delivery of cancer drugs.
Drug-delivering magnetic nanoparticles can precisely locate tumor sites for
drug delivery without affecting other non-target organs (N.T.T. Nguyen
et al., 2022b). Moreover, magnetic nanoparticles can be easily separable
from the solution after adsorption and catalytic processes (Gao, 2019).
The magnetic value of ZnFe2O4 could be examined by the Vibrating Sample
Magnetometer (VSM) analysis. The chemical synthesis method of ZnFe2O4
nanoparticles is usually highly magnetic, about 20–60 emu/g (Sripriya
et al., 2018). For example, ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles were synthesized by gel
combustion exhibiting high saturation magnetism, 44.60 emu/g
(Chavarriaga et al., 2020). also even synthesized ZnFe2O4 nanomaterials
by solvothermal method without the assistance of a template or surfactant,
giving a saturation magnetism of 58 and 66 emu/g. Based on Table 1, plant
extract-based ZnFe2O4 from the green synthesis method have the magnetic
saturation ranging from 0.05 to 30 emu/g (commonly <20 emu/g), lower
than that of the chemical synthesis method. This could explain that the
plant extract in the synthesis process can increase the decoration on the sur-
face of ZnFe2O4 nanomaterials, reducing their magnetism.
The magnetism of ZnFe2O4 nanomaterials can be affected by factors
during the synthesis of the material, including the calcination temperature.
Increasing the heating temperature of materials increases their magnetic
saturation of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles. For example, Etemadinia et al.
(2019) reported that the calcination of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles at 600 °C
in the presence of Tragacanth gum extract. Accordingly, the magnetic satu-
ration of this nanomaterial was obtained 19.325 emu/g, which was higher
than that (15.363 emu/g) of ZnFe2O4@SiO2. Meanwhile, Mehdipour et al.
(2021) synthesized ZnFe2O4 by green method under the calcination at
500 °C, obtaining a magnetic saturation at 11.833 emu/g, lower than that
of study by Etemadinia et al. (2019). The increase in saturation magnetiza-
tion with increasing calcination temperature can be attributed to the in-
crease in the coercivity of the individual particles, causing the
nanoparticles to solidify and agglomerate (Senthil et al., 2018). As a result,
magnetic properties can lead to an increase in the average particle size of
ZnFe2O4. Indeed, Malakootian et al. (2019) synthesized ZnFe2O4 nanopar-
ticles coated carboxymethyl cellulose carbohydrates with a saturation mag-
netism value of 11.96 emu/g and the particle size of 25 nm. Maleki et al.
(2019) produced ZnFe2O4 from brown algal extract with a saturation mag-
netism of 17.06 emu/g. Particles size of ZnFe2O4 (70 nm) were significantly
larger than that of the study by Malakootian et al. (2019). From these obser-
vations, a proper route can be suggested to synthesize green ZnFe2O4 mate-
rials with high magnetic, stable and suitable for the target application.
However, if the magnetism of material is too high, it increases the agglom-
eration and particles size of the material. This barrier can lead to a decrease
in surface area and active sites; thereby, reduce the effectiveness of plant-
mediated ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles for adsorption and photocatalytic perfor-
mance. It is highlighted that the role of plant extracts in synthesizing
ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles can be confirmed by reducing the agglomeration
8
Science of the Total Environment 872 (2023) 162212
of the material and achieving a sufficient magnetism value for many prom-
ising applications.
3.5. Optical bandgap
The valence band energy of a semiconductor is defined as a disparity be-
tween the valence band and the conduction band, i.e., the minimum photon
energy required to excite an electron from the valence band to the conduc-
tion band. This is an important value evaluating the photocatalytic ability
of ZnFe2O4 in absorbing visible light or UV in photocatalytic application.
As shown in Table 1, ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles have a band gap of ~1.8 eV,
the doped ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles have a higher band gap (1.9–2.8 eV). It
may be due to the addition of materials with large band gap increasing
the band gap of nanocomposites, which improve the electric properties of
nanocomposites. Indeed, Yang et al. (2022) reported that ZnFe2O4 nano-
particles coated carbon shells with a very narrow band gap of 1.78 eV. In
another study, Amani et al. (2022) conducted the synthesis of ZnFe2O4
nanoparticles in the presence of Ruta graveolens. Accordingly, the band
gap was obtained at 1.93 eV. When doping with CeO2, Barik et al. (2021)
realized that the band gap of ZnFe2O4–CeO2 increased from 1.9 to 2.8 eV.
At the same trend, Amrutha et al. (2020) found that ZnFe2O4 synthesized
from Emblica officinalis had a band gap of 1.9 eV. After doping with reduced
graphene oxide, however, the band gap value of the nanocomposites raised
to 2.3 eV. The authors explained that the band gap reduction results from
multiple-band effects on the valence and conduction bands of ZnFe2O4–
RGO. In semiconductors, the interaction between the free carriers and the
impurities occurs, i.e., the free carrier ion interaction leads to a hard shift
of the band gap. To sum up, the suitable optical band gap of the material
plays an important role in enhancing the photocatalytic activity of the ma-
terial in the presence of visible or UV light regions.
The band gap values of plant-mediated ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles generally
tend to be lower than those of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles through chemical
methods. Indeed, Reddy et al. (2021) fabricated ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles
via conventional synthesis with a band gap of 2.12 eV. Compared with
green synthesis, Krishnan et al. (2021) showed that a lower band gap
(1.53 eV) value of Zn nanoparticles from Citrus sinensis peel extract. At the
same trend, Amani et al. (2022) pointed out that the green synthesis of
ZnFe2O4 from Ruta graveolens extract exhibited a very low band gap of
1.93 eV. The difference in band gap between plant-mediated and chemi-
cally synthesized nanoparticles can be explained that the phytochemicals
on the surface of nanomaterials may prevent the recombination of electrons
when moving from CB to VB region, resulting in band gap change of the
nanomaterials. In addition, some phytochemicals containing nonmetallic
elements such as O, N, and P can be doped into the structure of ZnFe2O4
nanoparticles during the synthesis, resulting in changing the band gap of
ZnFe2O4.
4. Applications of green ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles
4.1. Photocatalytic performance of green ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles
Recently, photocatalysis is an important strategy to solve the energy cri-
sis and environmental problems. This application involves the successful
use of photon energy (e.g., sunlight, visible light, or ultraviolet light) to gen-
erate free radicals that decompose pollutants. The proposed mechanism of
ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles has been investigated by many studies, especially to
determine the role of the material band gap and the type of free radical gen-
erated (Das et al., 2021; Huang et al., 2022). Firstly, under light irradiation,
ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles absorb light and excite the electrons moving from
the valence band (VB) to the conduction band (CB) (Hou et al., 2013).
Therefore, they leave the hole at the VB of the ZnFe2O4 material. If the ma-
terials are composites, the component material with the lower band gap
will be excited first and tend to donate electrons at CB to the other compo-
nent material. This helps prevent the possibility of recombination of elec-
trons and holes (L.T.T Nguyen et al., 2022). This confirms the role of
ZnFe2O4 doping that has a positive contribution to the photocatalytic
N.T.T. Nguyen et al. Science of the Total Environment 872 (2023) 162212

activity of the material. The electrons and holes can then combine with H2O
or O2 from the outside to create a variety of free radicals (e.g., •OH−, •O−
2 ,
H2O2, etc.) that degrade the pollutants in aqueous (U.T.P Nguyen et al.,
2022).
Factors affecting the photocatalytic activity of ZnFe2O4 can include the
band gap of the material and the irradiation source. These two factors have
a correlation relationship, specifically if the band gap of the material is
large, they exert a good photocatalytic effect with the irradiation source
being ultraviolet light. In contrast, materials with small band gap are
more suitable for visible light irradiation source. Indeed, Surendra et al.
(2020a, 2020b) synthesized successfully ZnFe2O4 using Jatropha curcas ex-
tract with band gap of 1.81 eV, achieving 98 % MG degradation under UV
irradiation (Table 2). At the lower band gap 1.53 eV, Krishnan et al. (2021)
reported that ZnFe2O4/reduced graphene oxide nanoparticles from orange
peel extract were suitable for visible light irradiation as evidenced by
92.4 % MB degradation efficiency. In addition, materials from plant
extract-based biosynthesis methods were also compared with chemical syn-
thesis methods. Specifically, Surendra et al. (2020b) synthesized ZnFe2O4
material from neem leaf extract and from chemical synthesis for photocat-
alytic degradation of 3 dyes AR-88, AO-8, MG. According to the results,
ZnFe2O4 from chemical synthesis achieved 98 %, which was not signifi-
cantly higher than that of biological synthesis (88 %). These results also
confirmed the role of plant extract in the synthesis of catalyst materials.
In another study, the comparison between the commercial catalyst material
and the biosynthetic ZnFe2O4 material from the Emblica officinalis and Aloe
vera extract was carried out for clarification (Amrutha et al., 2020). Accord-
ingly, the photocatalytic efficiency of commercial P25 for LR dye degrada-
tion reached 84 % while that of the biological ZnFe2O4/reduced graphene
oxide material is 97 %. This highlights the photocatalytic efficiency of
ZnFe2O4 materials synthesized from plant extracts, they can exist many sur-
face chemistry on the material surface and support the photocatalysis pro-
cess. In particular, Balasubramanian and Murali (2020) also proved that
ZnFe2O4 biomaterial has excellent reusability with the 5th reuse still
reaching 97 %. In addition to photocatalysts for dye degradation,
ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles also confirm its catalytic ability in the application
of biodegradation of antibiotics and pesticides. Indeed, Malakootian et al.
(2019) produced ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles to decompose 87 % of ciprofloxa-
cin in 120 mins under UV irradiation. In another study, Barik et al. (2021)
reported that ZnFe2O4-CeO2/BRGO from Ocimum tenuiflorum extract de-
graded over 99 % of chlorpyrifos pesticides in aqueous under visible light
irradiation.
The phytochemicals from the plant extracts significantly affect the
structure of green ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles as well as their photocatalytic ef-
ficiency in the removal of pollutants. Considering the surface of ZnFe2O4
nanoparticles, the functionality by phytochemicals on the surface can lead
to enhanced photocatalytic activity (Abdullah et al., 2021). For instance,
Muthuvel et al. (2020) showed that nanoparticles synthesized by chemical
method have many oxygen vacancies, leading to fast electron-hole recom-
bination; thereby, reducing the photocatalytic activity for the catalyst. By
contrast, the phytochemicals present on the surface of the catalyst can
prevent the recombination of the electron-hole pair, reducing band gap,
and generating more reactive oxygen species. As a result, the photocatalytic
degradation of pollutants can be more effective. Indeed, Nguyen et al.
(2023) carried out a survey to compare the photocatalytic activity of
ZnFe2O4@ZnO nanoparticles synthesized by biological and chemical
methods. Accordingly, plant-mediated ZnFe2O4@ZnO nanoparticles exhib-
ited a lower band gap of 1.98 eV, compared with 2.89 eV of chemically syn-
thesized ZnFe2O4@ZnO. As expected, this plant-mediated catalyst achieved
a higher dye degradability (94.9 %) than the material synthesized chemi-
cally (79.6 %).
Phytochemicals from plant extracts contribute to not only improving
the photocatalytic efficiency of ZnFe2O4 nanomaterials but also enhancing
their reusability in water treatment applications. This advantage may be at-
tributed to the presence of functional groups derived from phytochemicals
decorating on the surface of the nanoparticles, preserving the metal active
sites from leaking after each reuse. Indeed, Balasubramanian and Murali
(2020) synthesized ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles using Nyctanthes arbor-tristis
flower extract for photocatalytic activity. Accordingly, the degradation effi-
ciency for RhB was obtained at 100 % in the first use and still maintained a
stable structure and activity after 5th reuse, at 97 %. Meanwhile, Miao et al.
(2022) reported that ZnFe2O4/CdS nanocomposites synthesized by
solvothermal method displayed the maximum degradation efficiency of
93.2 % for RhB, and only 84.96 % after 5th reuse. Xie et al. (2013) prepared
ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles by the chemical coprecipitation combined with
high-temperature sintering method for MB photocatalytic degradation.
The authors observed a lower recyclability with 4 cycles of these chemically
synthesized nanoparticles. The photocatalytic degradation rate was found
at about 70 % for the final cycle. To some extent, phytochemicals from
plant extracts may improve the photocatalytic performance and recyclabil-
ity of plant-mediated ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles compared with the chemically
synthesized ones.
The mechanism of photocatalytic degradation by plant-mediated
ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles can be studied by examining the generation of frag-
ments. For example, by using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry
(GC–MS) analysis, fragments of levofloxacin antibiotic at degradation
stages can be elucidated as shown in Fig. 3. As a result, mechanism of pho-
tocatalytic degradation can be proposed through redox reaction to convert
levofloxacin antibiotic into harmless degradation products such as CO2 and
H2O. To sum up, green ZnFe2O4 material is one of the most effective
photocatalysts for removal of pollutants. To enhance the degradation effi-
ciency of pollutants, it is necessary to design new ZnFe2O4 based
photocatalysts by doping with other semiconductor materials like ZnO,
TiO2, CeO2, etc. This key development makes green ZnFe2O4 based
photocatalysts more preferable for removal of different pollutants.
4.2. Adsorption performance of green ZnFe2O4
Adsorption is one of the most effective physical methods used for pollut-
ant removal in aquatic environments (Ighalo et al., 2022). The main possi-
ble mechanism in this method is the interactions between the contaminant

Table 2
Photocatalytic performance of green ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles for removal of pollutants.
Materials Reducing agent Source light Application References

ZnFe2O4-CMC Carboxymethyl cellulose UV Degradation of 87 % ciprofloxacin for 120 min (Malakootian et al., 2019)
carbohydrate
ZnFe2O4/reduced graphene Orange peel Visible light Degradation of 92.4 % MB for 120 min (Krishnan et al., 2021)
oxide
ZnFe2O4 Jatropha (plant) UV Degradation of 98 % MG for 180 min (Surendra et al., 2020a,
2020b)
ZnFe2O4 Neem extract UV Degradation of dyes, e.g., AR-88, AO-8, MG (88–98 %) for 180 min (Surendra et al., 2020b)
ZnFe2O4:Cu2+ Aegle marmelos UV–visible light Degradation of 94 % RhB (Surendra et al., 2021)
ZnFe2O4 Nyctanthes arbor-tristis Solar light Degradation of 100 % RhB for 30 min, still obtained 97 % at 5th recycle (Balasubramanian and
flower illumination Murali, 2020)
ZnFe2O4-CeO2/BRGO Ocimum tenuiflorum Visible light Degradation of 99 % chlorpyrifos (pesticides) for time: 60 min; (Barik et al., 2021)
Direct Z-Scheme degradation of 99 % RhB for 40 min
ZnFe2O4 Cratoxylum glaucum UV Degradation of 16.42 % RhB for 180 min (Putri et al., 2021)

9
N.T.T. Nguyen et al. Science of the Total Environment 872 (2023) 162212

Fig. 3. a) Fragments of levofloxacin (LVFX) antibiotic found under photocatalytic degradation of ZnFe2O4@Ag2CO3 nanoparticles, b) mechanism of photocatalytic
degradation of levofloxacin over ZnFe2O4@Ag2CO3 catalyst.
Reprinted from the reference Li et al. (2020).

10
N.T.T. Nguyen et al.
molecule and the material surface. Many interactions, such as electrostatic
interaction, hydrophobic effect, π–π bond, hydrogen bond, ion exchange,
and Van der Waals force, have been reported to be possibly involved in
the adsorption of pollutants on ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles as shown in Fig. 4
(Zhang and Camarena, 2020). The green ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles can fulfill
the requirements for a good adsorbent because they have many outstanding
properties in terms of surface, stability and environmentally friendly syn-
thesis. In particular, ZnFe2O4 is highly magnetic, helping better recovery
after use. These features exert ZnFe2O4 to develop industrial scale with
higher treatment efficiency.
Plant extract-mediated ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles can be highly effective in
the adsorptive removal of toxic dyes. Specifically, the biomolecules remain-
ing on the surface of the ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles can increase active sites to
attract pollutant molecules. The existence of functional groups on the sur-
face can also enhance the bonding between the ZnFe2O4 and the dye mole-
cules such as hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic interaction, electrostatic
interactions, etc. For instance, Dehghan et al. (2019) conducted an experi-
ment to study the malachite green dye adsorption by ZnFe2O4 nanoparti-
cles chemically synthesized via the hydrothermal method as shown in
Table S2. According to the results obtained, the maximum adsorption ca-
pacity of nanomaterials was found at 116.2 mg g−1. Meanwhile, U.T.P.
Nguyen et al. (2022) showed the potential of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles syn-
thesized using Chrysanthemum spp. flower extract for adsorption of this or-
ganic dye. In this work, ZnFe2O4 demonstrated a higher adsorbtion
capacity of 120 mg g−1 than that of study by Dehghan et al. (2019).
Etemadinia et al. (2019) used tragacanth gum in combination with
ZnFe2O4@SiO2 material to remove methylene blue dye. Under optimal
conditions pH 8, contact time 60 min, initial concentration 60 mg/L and ab-
sorbed dose 0.2 g/L, maximum adsorption capacity is 109.37 mg g−1.
Zhang and Camarena (2020) showed that ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles can be
synthesized with the assistance of yeast through a simple one-pot sonica-
tion process. Accordingly, the materials exhibited a maximum Congo red
adsorbtion capacity of 108.3 mg g−1. More interestingly, highly magnetic
ZnFe2O4 showed an excellent recyclability with at least 4 reuses and
Fig. 4. Several interactions, such as electrostatic interaction and hydrogen bond involving in the adsorption of pollutants on ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles.
Reprinted from reference Sahoo et al. (2021).
11
Science of the Total Environment 872 (2023) 162212
achieved 73 % at 4th reuse. With high performance in terms of stability, re-
usability and removal efficiency, bio-mediated ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles can
be an ideal adsorbent for removal of pollutants in aqueous environment.
In another study, Sahoo et al. (2021) synthesized ZnO and ZnO-ZnFe2O4
nanoparticles by green bio-hydrothermal method in the presence of Psidium
guajava extract. According to the obtained results, the dye removal efficien-
cies of ZnO were 64 % for Congo red and 58 % for methylene blue, while
those of ZnO-ZnFe2O4 nanocomposites were 96 % for Congo red and
90 % for methylene blue. The adsorption capacities of plant-mediated
ZnO-ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles were calculated at 90.35–120 mg g−1, com-
pared with 42.12–70.12 mg g−1 of plant-mediated ZnO nanoparticles.
This outcome confirmed the effectiveness of the material after doping of
ZnFe2O4, possibly because the surface area of the nanocomposites
(47.34 m2/g) was larger than that of origin ZnO nanoparticles (32.12 m2/
g). To sum up, the modification of plant-mediated ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles
should be considered to improve the adsorption performance.
4.3. Electrochemical applications
Currently, a number of nanomaterials have been used as a sensing appli-
cation in various fields such as gas sensing (leakage sensing and preventing
accidents that can occur when it leaks accidentally or by mistake)
(Kiranakumar et al., 2022), chemical sensor (Umar et al., 2020). In addi-
tion, zinc ferrite materials also show outstanding potential in electrochem-
ical sensors, helping to support detection applications. To test their
usability in electrochemical applications, the electrochemical performance
of ZnFe2O4 materials is usually investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV)
and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) (Alsulami et al.,
2022). In addition, lithium ion battery production technology is considered
as an excellent energy storage and power supply device (Tomaszewska
et al., 2019). The ZnFe2O4 material is known to act as the anode in Li-ion
batteries due to its excellent electrochemical properties such as good cy-
cling performance, high specific capacity, good rate capability (Won
et al., 2014). From these interesting findings, ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles have
N.T.T. Nguyen et al.
become the subject of maximum potential exploitation in electrochemical
applications.
Matinise et al. (2018) have studied the synthesis of ZnFe2O4 materials
from Moringa oleifera extracts and examined their electrochemical proper-
ties. Accordingly, the time constant and exchange current of ZnFe2O4 nano-
materials from EIS analysis were calculated and found to be
5.2001 × 10−4 s/rad and 6.59432 × 10−4 A, respectively. Based on the
electrochemical results, the authors confirmed that the ZnFe2O4 electrode
from plant extract exhibits good potential response and it becomes a prom-
ising electrode for electrochemical applications. Indeed, Kiruthika et al.
(2022) shown that ZnFe2O4 synthesized from Actinidia deliciosa fruit extract
could be the anode for Li-ion batteries. The positive results obtained from
the CV plot show a sharp and reversible redox pair due to the formation
of the ZnLi alloy, which stabilizes the anode. This achievement has high-
lighted the potential to replace toxic chemical materials of biological
ZnFe2O4 in electrochemical applications. In addition, the electrochemical
ability of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles can also be applied to sensing drugs such
as Paracetamol, Dolo-650 and some drugs that stimulate the uterus to
avoid abuse such as Mifepristone and Misoprostol. Specifically, Surendra
et al. (2020a, 2020b) used ZnFe2O4 electrode prepared from Jatropha ex-
tract with platinum (opposite electrode) in 0.1 M KCl electrolyte with a pe-
riod of −1.24 V to 0.4 V at a scan rate of 10–50 mV/s to detect different
drugs. According to the results, the capacitance values of ZnFe2O4 electrode
was observed for Dolo 650, Paracetamol, and Mifepristone – Misoprostol
sensor chemicals were 208, 269, and 91 Ω respectively at scan rate of
40 mV as shown in Fig. 5 Similarly, Surendra et al. (2021) synthesized
ZnFe2O4-Cu2+ material from Aegle marmelos extract for electrochemical
sensing application. Accordingly, the arc radius of the ZnFe2O4-Cu2+ nano-
particles for Mifepristone – Misoprostol is 380 Ω higher than that of study
by Surendra et al. (2020a, 2020b). This shows that the doped material
Fig. 5. CV plots for prepared ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles with different sensors.
Reprinted from reference Surendra et al. (2020a, 2020b).
12
Science of the Total Environment 872 (2023) 162212
has a lower charge transfer resistance because the presence of Cu2+ accel-
erates the surface charge transfer.
4.4. Biomedical applications
In recent time, ferrite materials with transition metal sites including Zn,
Co, Ni, Fe, Mn, and Mg have been extensively studied for possible biomed-
ical applications. Among ferrites, the biomedical applications of ZnFe2O4
nanoparticles are preferred due to the biocompatibility of Zn2+ ions with
the tissues of human body (Hoque et al., 2016). Thereby, ZnFe2O4 nanopar-
ticles have been used as antibacterial, antifungal, anti-cancer, drug delivery
and disease diagnosis agents. For disease diagnosis, ZnFe2O4 shows a tre-
mendous potential of enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for
early detection of lesions or tumors in the body (Gupta et al., 2014).
The plant-mediated ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles are also applied in anti-
inflammatory cells by inhibiting proinflammatory mediators. Imraish
et al. (2021a) synthesized ZnFe2O4 material in the presence of Boswellia
carteri to anti-inflammation resin extract. In this study, biological ZnFe2O4
nanoparticles exhibited excellent anti-inflammatory activity by inhibiting
the mRNA expressions of IL-1b, IL-6 and TNF-α proteins. It is expected
that ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles can be one of the promising candidates for
many biomedical applications.
The support of phytochemicals during the bio-mediated synthesis could
enhance the biomedical performance of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles. The
phytochemicals coating on the surface of nanomaterials can increase the
biocompatibility and biostability, penetrating the cell membrane of micro-
organisms easier, and thus, having higher efficiency than nanoparticles syn-
thesized without plant extracts as shown in Table S2. For example, Zhang
et al. (2022) synthesized the ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles through a surfactant-
assisted hydrothermal technique for antibacterial applications. In this
N.T.T. Nguyen et al.
work, the inhibition zone of chemically synthesized ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles
only reached 7.7 mm for E. coli and 8.1 mm for S. aureus. At the same con-
ditions, Khalid Haliru and Abubakar (2021) reported that the synthesis of
ZnFe2O4 from Neem leaf extract for against Gram-negative and Gram-
positive bacteria. As a result, the zones of inhibition obtained at 31 mm
for E. coli and 24 mm for S. aureus. This result is almost 3–4 times higher
than that of ZnFe2O4 material via chemical method. Studies on the use of
other plant extract-mediated nanoparticles such as ZnO, CuO, MgO, Ag,
etc. also reported the same trend (Nguyen et al., 2022c, 2022b). As a result,
phytochemicals have proved, to some extent, to be of considerable impor-
tance in the synthesis, structure, and biomedical activity enhancement of
nanomaterials.
One of the biomedical applications of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles from bio-
synthesis is antibacterial activity. ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles can contact bacte-
ria through the electrostatic interaction mechanism between the bacterial
cell membrane and the material. Thanks to their biocompatibility,
ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles easily cross cell membranes, inhibiting important
metabolic functions and ultimately inactivating bacterial cells (Zhang
et al., 2020). Surendra et al. (2020a, 2020b) synthesized successfully
ZnFe2O4 from jatropha extract to against P. aeroginosa and E. coli. In this
study, the inhibition percentages were obtained of 85.20 % and 28.60 %
for P. aeroginosa and E. coli, respectively. In general, the ability of
ZnFe2O4 to eliminate E. coli bacteria is still limited. In another study,
Krishnan et al. (2021) took advantage of the photocatalytic ability of
ZnFe2O4/reduced graphene oxide from orange peel extracts to support
the fight against E. coli. E. coli cell cultures treated with ZnFe2O4/rGO had
the percentage survival rate of 81.15 %, while the survival rate of bacteria
reached only 29.43 % when exposed to sunlight. It is explained that the
photocatalytic activity of ZnFe2O4 material under sunlight irradiation en-
hances the generation of ROS that kill bacteria.
Another potential biomedical application of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles is
anticancer activity. Indeed, ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles from orange peel
could against lung cancer cell line (A549) (Krishnan et al., 2021). Accord-
ingly, the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) value for A549
cells was found to be 249.9 μg/mL. In another study, Jodati et al. (2023) re-
ported anti-breast cancer cells activity of ZnFe2O4@Ag nanocomposites
from Scenedesmus obliquus extracts. In this study, IC50 value for MCF-7
was obtained of 111 μg/mL, lower than that of the study by Krishnan
et al. (2021). The better effect may be due to Ag nanodoping and the pres-
ence of plant extracts that have functional components required for cancer
cell elimination. In addition to the normal ability to kill cancer cells,
ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles can also treat cancer through hyperthermia therapy.
Cancer cells can be killed by selectively raising the temperature of the le-
sion to about 42–45 °C while healthy cells remain unaffected (Manohar
et al., 2021).
Among biomedical applications, ideally nanomagnetic ZnFe2O4 can be
preferentially targeted for delivery to disease sites in cells. For example,
Amiri et al. (2020) synthesized liposome-doped ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles
from Teucrium polium extract and coated with hyaluronic acid. In this
study, the material was used to deliver the drug imatinib - a cancer treat-
ment drug against U87 cell lines (human primary glioblastoma cell
line). Accordingly, the percentage of drug release to the tumor site in
the presence and absence of the magnetic medium was 92.12 % and
79.02 %, respectively. In another study, confirmed that rutin present
in plant extracts has the potential to synthesize chitosan-coated
ZnFe2O4 materials for doxorubicin drug delivery applications. Accord-
ing to the results, the percentage of drug loading and drug release
reached 78.6 % and 87.4 % respectively. It is believed that the prepara-
tion of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles for drug delivery could be an effective so-
lution for the pharmaceutical industry.
4.5. Catalysis applications
ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles can be an effective tool to direct the construction
of complex structures from simple starting materials (Amini et al., 2021).
The good catalytic ability of the ZnFe2O4-based materials has been reported
13
Science of the Total Environment 872 (2023) 162212
through many reactions to synthesize bioactive compounds or some types
of drug precursors or organic substances in industrial applications
(Khanmohammadi-Sarabi et al., 2022). For example, ZnFe2O4 nanoparti-
cles catalyze the reactions to synthesize 4H-pyrans, 1H-tetrazoles, and
their derivatives which have beneficial pharmacological activities includ-
ing antitumor, diuretic, anti-HIV, antimalarial, anti-inflammatory, and hy-
poglycemic (Maleki et al., 2019). 1H-tetrazoles are a group of nitrogen-
rich heterocyclic compounds with various uses that have recently attracted
much attention in a variety of applications including explosives, catalysis
technology, materials science, information recording systems (Aghavandi
and Ghorbani-Choghamarani, 2022).
Maleki et al. (2019) synthesized ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles using alginic
acid in brown algae extract to produce 2-amino-3-cyano-4H-pyran deriva-
tives. In this study, the synthesis of 4H-pyrans derivatives catalyzed by
bio-mediated ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles was facile with excellent yields
(83–95 %) in short reaction time (10–20 min). The authors also reported
the good reusability of this green catalyst with a high yield of 85 % for
the 6th run. Thanks to functionality by phytochemicals from plant extract,
ZnFe2O4 materials can acts as a catalyst with higher efficiency than the
chemically synthesized ones as shown in Table S2. For example,
Kombaiah et al. (2017) prepared the ZnFe2O4 catalyst synthesized using
Opuntia dilenii haw extract and synthesized by the chemical method to con-
vert glycerol to formic acid. As a result, 97 % formic acid was obtained and
the selectivity of the main product also increased to 99 % using plant-
mediated ZnFe2O4. Meanwhile, only 85 % formic acid was produced with
lower selectivity using chemically synthesized ZnFe2O4. The authors con-
cluded that the catalyst synthesized from plant extracts exhibited higher
catalytic activity and better selectivity. It could be explained that the parti-
cle size (32 nm) of the plant-mediated catalyst was so far smaller than that
(73 nm) of the catalyst synthesized by the chemical method, suppling more
catalytic active sites, having higher catalytic activity. To sum up, the phyto-
chemicals in plant extracts bring ZnFe2O4 nanomaterial good performance
in catalytic activity.
5. Prospects of green ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles
This review provides an insight into the efforts and approaches towards
applications of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles from plant extracts. Plant extracts
not only play an important role in replacing chemical reducing agents,
but also contribute to the applicability of ZnFe2O4 materials (Ghoran
et al., 2020). In addition, the biocompatibility of ZnFe2O4 can be attributed
to the functional components present in the plant extracts remaining in the
surface of the material (Kiruthika et al., 2022). In particular, the capping
and material stabilization of plant extracts help ZnFe2O4 to reduce cluster-
ing and dispersion (Fabiani et al., 2021). Thanks to these benefits, ZnFe2O4
nanoparticles from plant extract have potential in many applications such
as biomedical (Amani et al., 2022), photocatalysis (Balasubramanian and
Murali, 2020), adsorption (Etemadinia et al., 2019), agriculture (El
Messaoudi et al., 2022), and even electrochemistry, sensing (Surendra
et al., 2021). In addition, the potential of doping ZnFe2O4 materials along
with some other semiconductor materials also contributes to the future ex-
pansion of ZnFe2O4 in a variety of applications.
Recently, ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles can be an alternative to traditional lu-
minescent powders for safe detection and quality improvement of latent
fingerprints (LFP) deposited on various surfaces (Renuka et al., 2021). Dur-
ing a crime scene investigation, exposure of a fingerprint specialist to pow-
dered formulations would be a health hazard. Therefore, the alternative use
of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles from plant extracts is safe and magnetic, which is
easy to remove by magnetic brush. Indeed, Amrutha et al. (2020) synthe-
sized ZnFe2O4-reduced graphene oxide material from Emblica officinalis
fruit extract as a labeling agent to detect LFP on various surfaces such as
phone screens, glass, and marble. Enhanced fingerprints were captured
under the 254 nm UV light band using a Nikon D3100-lens digital camera.
According to the results, the enhanced fingerprint displays a well-resolved
ridge and flow profile with a clear resolution between light ridges and dark
background as shown in Fig. 6.
N.T.T. Nguyen et al.
Fig. 6. (a) LFP stained by ZnFe2O4-reduced graphene oxide; (b–e) several small ridges of latent fingerprints were identified and images displayed.
Reprinted from reference Amrutha et al. (2020).
Besides, the role of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles in the field of agricultural
biotechnology is very meaningful in increasing crop yield and creating
plant immunity. Sahoo et al. (2021) used a bio-hydrothermal method to
synthesize ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles in the presence of Psidium guajava ex-
tract. In this study, Nicotiana benthamiana was selected to test the ability
of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles to enhance plant immunity. The amount of
water lost (% of original fresh weight) in plants treated with nanoparticles
was found to be lower than that of the control plants, especially the protein
levels of defense-related genes were increased. In addition, colonization of
expressed bacterial colonies was significantly reduced compared with con-
trol plants when infected with Pseudomonas syringae. However, the specific
mechanism of the plant immune effect has not been elucidated. In another
study, Korotkova et al. (2019) reported that zinc ferrite nanoparticles were
synthesized by green method using Petroselinum crispum in seed germina-
tion. Accordingly, the highest percentage of seed germination of Triticum
vulgare was 53 %, higher than that of the control sample (~40 %). Along
with these prospects, the use of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles in various fields is
expected to increase in the future research.
6. Limitations and challenges
Apart from the future prospects of ZnFe2O4 materials have been stated,
some knowledge gaps are still not clear in the paper. The fundamental role
of each phytochemical in the biology of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles is still not
fully understood. There are also very few studies comparing the effective-
ness of chemically and biologically synthetic nanoparticles. Therefore,
more future works should focus on these aspects. Furthermore, the specific
mechanisms of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles in each of their collected applica-
tions have not been elucidated and studied specifically. This can cause
many obstacles in the process of improving the efficiency of materials. In
addition, the studies on this material are still modest, there are no in-
depth and focused studies on them. This type of spinel ferrite material
14
Science of the Total Environment 872 (2023) 162212
may not have much magnetism compared to others such as CoFe2O4 and
MnFe2O4, so recovery after use is even less. ZnFe2O4 materials may not
be as efficient in adsorption and photocatalysis as other advanced multi-
functional materials. It is necessary to do more doping studies of compo-
nent materials with large surface area or to adjust the band gap to match
the irradiation source. Because of their stubs, the scalability of green
ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles for commercial use needs to be evaluated to reduce
the total cost of production.
The significance of plant extract-mediated ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles in dif-
ferent applications can be debased if the problems of solid wastes possibly
generated from bio-mediated synthesis (e.g., cellulose residues) and utiliza-
tion (spent adsorbent or catalyst) are not solved sufficiently. To deal with
these solid wastes, we suggest a feasible solution towards circular economy.
In other word, the solid wastes should be converted into useful products for
other applications or other fields. For solid cellulose residues, methods of
pyrolysis and modification can be helpful to transform them into biochars,
activated carbons, porous carbons, and nanocomposites, which are used for
wastewater treatment. Solid cellulose residues can become a precursor for
renewable biofuels and bioenergy production fields (Khoo et al., 2020).
For spent ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles, it is suggested that modification process
with focus on improving their structure and activity should be considered
to minimize disposal solid waste into the environment. To sum up, the cir-
cular economy principles in this case can be applied in combination with
biofuel and material technologies to create more value-added products as
well as harmonize the benefits between environmental protection and sus-
tainable economy development (Pacurariu et al., 2021; Tran et al., 2022c).
7. Conclusions
In summary, the plant-mediated synthesis and potential utilizations of
plant extract-based ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles have been reviewed. It was
found that biosynthesis conditions such as Zn2+/Fe3+/extract ratio, and
N.T.T. Nguyen et al.
calcination temperature significantly affect the morphology, surface chem-
istry, particle size, magnetism and bandgap energy of obtained ZnFe2O4
nanoparticles. With low bandgaps and high surface areas, plant-mediated
ZnFe2O4 and its nanocomposites exhibited high photocatalytic activities
during degradation of toxic dyes, antibiotics, and pesticides. With diverse
surface chemistry, they also showed good adsorption performance through
plausible mechanisms such as electrostatic interaction, and hydrogen bond-
ing. Plant-mediated ZnFe2O4 were proved as promising antibacterial, anti-
fungal and anticancer agents for biomedical applications. In addition, plant-
mediated ZnFe2O4 could be heterogeneous catalyst for synthesis of valued
compounds. We also suggest several prospects of plant-mediated ZnFe2O4
as an alternative to traditional luminescent powders for safe detection in
improved latent fingerprints.
Funding information
There was no external funding for this study.
Compliance with ethical standards
The authors declare that
• The manuscript has not been published anywhere nor submitted to an-
other journal.
• The manuscript is not currently being considered for publication in any
another journal.
• All authors have been personally and actively involved in substantive
work leading to the manuscript, and will hold themselves jointly and in-
dividually responsible for its content.
• Research does not involve any Human Participants and/or Animals.
Code availability
The authors declare that software application or custom code supports
their published claims and comply with field standards.
Ethics approval
Not applicable.
Consent to participate
Not applicable.
Consent for publication
Not applicable.
CRediT authorship contribution statement
Ngoan Thi Thao Nguyen: Conceptualization; Data curation; Investigation;
Methodology; Writing - original draft.
Thuy Thi Thanh Nguyen: Writing - review & editing; Data curation; Val-
idation;
Duyen Thi Cam Nguyen: Conceptualization; Writing - review & editing;
Validation; Data curation; Supervision.
Thuan Van Tran: Conceptualization; Writing - review & editing; Valida-
tion; Data curation; Supervision; Project administration.
All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Availability of data and material
The authors declare that all data and materials support their published
claims and comply with field standards.
15
Science of the Total Environment 872 (2023) 162212
Declaration of competing interest
The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.
Acknowledgment
The authors would love to appreciate the effort of researchers all over
the world in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. We also acknowl-
edge Mina Rees Library, The Graduate Center of the City University of
New York (CUNY) for granting access to databases, Freepik company pro-
jects at www.freepik.com, and Canva® graphic design platforms at www.
canva.com for many graphic resources reproduced in this work.
Appendix A. Supplementary data
Supplementary data to this article can be found online at https://doi.
org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162212.
References
Abdullah, F.H., Bakar, N.H.H.A., Bakar, M.A., 2021. Comparative study of chemically synthe-
sized and low temperature bio-inspired Musa acuminata peel extract mediated zinc oxide
nanoparticles for enhanced visible-photocatalytic degradation of organic contaminants in
wastewater treatment. J. Hazard. Mater. 406, 124779. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
jhazmat.2020.124779.
Adnan, M., Usman, M., Akram, M.A., Javed, S., Ali, S., Ahmad, I., Islam, M., 2021. Study of
magnetic and dielectric properties of ZnFe2O4/CoCr2O4 nanocomposites produced
using sol-gel and hydrothermal processes. J. Alloys Compd. 865. https://doi.org/10.
1016/j.jallcom.2021.158953.
Aghavandi, H., Ghorbani-Choghamarani, A., 2022. ZnFe2O4@l-arginine-Ni: a novel, green,
recyclable, and highly versatile catalyst for the synthesis of 1H-tetrazoles and oxidation
of sulfides to the sulfoxides. J. Phys. Chem. Solids 170, 110952. https://doi.org/10.
1016/j.jpcs.2022.110952.
Ahmad, N., Nadeem, F., Al-Sabahi, J.N., Umar, A., 2016. Chemical conversions of essential oil
components and their properties-a review. IJCBS 9, 63.
Aldeen, T.S., Ahmed Mohamed, H.E., Maaza, M., 2022. ZnO nanoparticles prepared via a
green synthesis approach: physical properties, photocatalytic and antibacterial activity.
J. Phys. Chem. Solids 160, 110313. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpcs.2021.110313.
Alsulami, Q.A., Alharbi, L.M., Keshk, S.M.A.S., 2022. Synthesis of a graphene oxide/
ZnFe2O4/polyaniline nanocomposite and its structural and electrochemical characteriza-
tion for supercapacitor application. Int. J. Energy Res. 46, 2438–2445. https://doi.org/
10.1002/er.7318.
Amani, A.M., Danaie, P., Vaez, A., Gholizadeh, R., Firuzyar, T., Dehghani, F., Mosleh-Shirazi,
S., 2022. Rutin precursor for the synthesis of superparamagnetic ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles:
experimental and density functional theory. Appl. Phys. A Mater. Sci. Process. 128, 696.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-022-05763-y.
Amini, H., Neamani, S., Moradi, L., 2021. Green synthesis of pyrazolo pyrano pyrimidine de-
rivatives using ZnFe 2 O 4/GA as a new effective catalyst in water media. ChemistrySelect
6, 9608–9615. https://doi.org/10.1002/slct.202101980.
Amiri, M., Gholami, T., Amiri, O., Pardakhti, A., Ahmadi, M., Akbari, A., Amanatfard, A.,
Salavati-Niasari, M., 2020. The magnetic inorganic-organic nanocomposite based on
ZnFe2O4-imatinib-liposome for biomedical applications, in vivo and in vitro study.
J. Alloys Compd. 849, 156604. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jallcom.2020.156604.
Amrutha, V.S., Anantharaju, K.S., Prasanna, D.S., Rangappa, D., Shetty, K., Nagabhushana, H.,
Ashwini, K., Vidya, Y.S., Darshan, G.P., 2020. Enhanced sunlight driven photocatalytic
performance and visualization of latent fingerprint by green mediated ZnFe2O4–RGO
nanocomposite. Arab. J. Chem. 13, 1449–1465. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arabjc.2017.
11.016.
Bai, R., Wang, Y., Cao, Y., Yu, H., Li, P., Chai, G., Li, X., Li, W., Cui, F., Hu, F., 2022. Discrim-
ination of three varieties of Codonopsis Radix based on fingerprint profiles of oligosac-
charides by high performance liquid chromatography- evaporative light scattering
detector combined with multivariate analysis. J. Chromatogr. A 1685, 463642. https://
doi.org/10.1016/j.chroma.2022.463642.
Balasubramanian, M., Murali, K.R., 2020. Biosynthesis of zinc ferrite (ZnFe2O4) nanoparticles
using flower extract of nyctanthes arbor-tristis and their photocatalytic activity. Ferro-
electrics 555, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/00150193.2019.1691381.
Bao, Y., He, J., Song, K., Guo, J., Zhou, X., Liu, S., 2021. Plant-extract-mediated synthesis of
metal nanoparticles. J. Chem. 2021, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/6562687.
Barik, B., Maji, B., Bag, J., Mishra, M., Singh, J., Dash, P., 2021a. Design of a non-cytotoxic
ZnFe 2 O 4 -CeO 2/BRGO direct Z-scheme photocatalyst with bioreduced graphene
oxide as cocatalyst. ChemistrySelect 6, 101–112. https://doi.org/10.1002/slct.
202003991.
Chavarriaga, E.A., Lopera, A.A., Franco, V., Bergmann, C.P., Alarcón, J., 2020. Gel combustion
synthesis and magnetic properties of CoFe2O4, ZnFe2O4, and MgFe2O4 using 6-
aminohexanoic acid as a new fuel. J. Magn. Magn. Mater. 497, 166054. https://doi.
org/10.1016/j.jmmm.2019.166054.
Das, K.K., Paramanik, L., Parida, K., 2021. An insight to band-bending mechanism of polypyr-
role sensitized B-rGO/ZnFe2O4 p-n heterostructure with dynamic charge transfer for
photocatalytic applications. Int. J. Hydrog. Energy 46, 24484–24500. https://doi.org/
10.1016/j.ijhydene.2021.05.019.
N.T.T. Nguyen et al.
Debasish, D., Saha, S., Mishra, H.N., 2021. Effect of geographical locations on qualitative and
quantitative phytochemical evaluation, evaluation of antioxidant activity of H. difformis
leaf and stem collected from different sites in India. Ann. RSCB. 25, 18070–18079.
Dehghan, A., Hassannezhad, M., Hosseini, M., Ganjali, M., 2019. Efficient removal of Mala-
chite Green from aqueous solution by adsorption on carbon nanotubes modified with
ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles. J. Serbian Chem. Soc. 84, 701–712. https://doi.org/10.2298/
JSC181228038D.
Devi, M., Devi, S., Sharma, V., Rana, N., Bhatia, R.K., Bhatt, A.K., 2020. Green synthesis of sil-
ver nanoparticles using methanolic fruit extract of Aegle marmelos and their antimicro-
bial potential against human bacterial pathogens. J. Tradit. Complement. Med. 10,
158–165. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtcme.2019.04.007.
Dhiman, V., Kondal, N., Choudhary, P., 2023. Bryophyllum pinnatum leaf extract mediated
ZnO nanoparticles with prodigious potential for solar driven photocatalytic degradation
of industrial contaminants. Environ. Res. 216, 114751. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
envres.2022.114751.
Dias, M.C., Pinto, D.C.G.A., Silva, A.M.S., 2021. Plant flavonoids: chemical characteristics and
biological activity. Molecules 26, 5377. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26175377.
Dimri, M.C., Kumar, D., Aziz, S.B., Mishra, K., 2021. ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles assisted ion trans-
port behavior in a sodium ion conducting polymer electrolyte. Ionics 27, 1143–1157.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11581-020-03899-6 (Kiel).
Ekiert, H., Pajor, J., Klin, P., Rzepiela, A., Ślesak, H., Szopa, A., 2020. Significance of Artemisia
vulgaris L. (Common Mugwort) in the history of medicine and its possible contemporary
applications substantiated by phytochemical and pharmacological studies. Molecules 25,
4415.
El Messaoudi, N., El Khomri, M., Chegini, Z.G., Bouich, A., Dbik, A., Bentahar, S., Labjar, N.,
Iqbal, M., Jada, A., Lacherai, A., 2022. Dye removal from aqueous solution using nano-
composite synthesized from oxalic acid-modified agricultural solid waste and ZnFe2O4
nanoparticles. Nanotechnol. Environ. Eng. 7, 797–811. https://doi.org/10.1007/
s41204-021-00173-6.
Etemadinia, T., Allahrasani, A., Barikbin, B., 2019. ZnFe2O4@SiO2@Tragacanth gum nano-
composite: synthesis and its application for the removal of methylene blue dye from
aqueous solution. Polym. Bull. 76, 6089–6109. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00289-019-
02681-7.
Fabiani, V.A., Aldila, H., Anggraeni, Nuraini, 2020. Green synthesis and characterization of
Zinc Ferrite (ZnFe2O4) nanocomposite via Tristaniopsis merguensis Griff. natural extract.
IOP Conf. Ser. Earth Environ. Sci. 599, 12066. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/599/
1/012066.
Fabiani, V.A., Sari, F.I.P., Nur'Aini, Putri, S.A., 2021. Biosynthesis and characterization of zinc
ferrite (ZnFe2O4) via Antidesma bunius L. fruit extract. IOP Conf. Ser. Earth Environ. Sci.
926, 012061. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/926/1/012061.
Gandhi, G.R., Vasconcelos, A.B.S., Wu, D.T., Li, Hua, Bin, Antony, P.J., Li, Hang, Geng, F.,
Gurgel, R.Q., Narain, N., Gan, R.Y., 2020. Citrus flavonoids as promising phytochemicals
targeting diabetes and related complications: a systematic review of in vitro and in vivo
studies. Nutrients 12, 2907. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12102907.
Gao, F., 2019. An overview of surface-functionalized magnetic nanoparticles: preparation and
application for wastewater treatment. ChemistrySelect 4, 6805–6811. https://doi.org/
10.1002/slct.201900701.
Ghaffari-Moghaddam, M., Hadi-Dabanlou, R., Khajeh, M., Rakhshanipour, M., Shameli, K.,
2014. Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using plant extracts. Korean J. Chem. Eng.
31, 548–557. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11814-014-0014-6.
Ghoran, S.H., Dashti, M.F., Maroofi, A., Shafiee, M., Zare-Hoseinabadi, A., Behzad, F.,
Mehrabi, M., Jangjou, A., Jamali, K., 2020. Biosynthesis of zinc ferrite nanoparticles
using polyphenol-rich extract of Citrus aurantium flowers. Nanomedicine Res. J. 5,
20–28. https://doi.org/10.22034/NMRJ.2020.01.003.
Guo, L., Okinaka, N., Zhang, L., Watanabe, S., 2021. Facile synthesis of ZnFe2O4/SnO2 com-
posites for efficient photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue. Mater. Chem. Phys.
262, 124273. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matchemphys.2021.124273.
Gupta, H., Paul, P., Kumar, N., 2014. Synthesis and characterization of DHA/ZnO/ZnFe2O4
nanostructures for biomedical imaging application. Procedia Mater. Sci. 5, 198–203.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mspro.2014.07.258.
Hafez Ghoran, S., Fadaei Dashti, M., Maroofi, A., Shafiee, M., Zare-Hoseinabadi, A., Behzad,
F., Mehrabi, M., Jangjou, A., Jamali, K., 2020. Biosynthesis of zinc ferrite nanoparticles
using polyphenol-rich extract of Citrus aurantium flowers. Nanomedicine Res. J. 5,
20–28. https://doi.org/10.22034/nmrj.2020.01.003.
Hashim, A., 2020. Enhanced structural, optical, and electronic properties of In2O3 and Cr2O3
nanoparticles doped polymer blend for flexible electronics and potential applications.
J. Inorg. Organomet. Polym. Mater. 30, 3894–3906. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10904-
020-01528-3.
Hassanisaadi, M., Bonjar, G.H.S., Rahdar, A., Pandey, S., Hosseinipour, A., Abdolshahi, R.,
2021. Environmentally safe biosynthesis of gold nanoparticles using plant water extracts.
Nanomaterials 11, 2033. https://doi.org/10.3390/nano11082033.
Hazarika, A., Yadav, M., Yadav, D.K., Yadav, H.S., 2022. An overview of the role of nanopar-
ticles in sustainable agriculture. Biocatal. Agric. Biotechnol. 43, 102399. https://doi.org/
10.1016/j.bcab.2022.102399.
Hoque, S.M., Hossain, M.S., Choudhury, S., Akhter, S., Hyder, F., 2016. Synthesis and charac-
terization of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles and its biomedical applications. Mater. Lett. 162,
60–63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matlet.2015.09.066.
Hossain, M.F., Paul, T.C., Khan, M.N.I., Islam, S., Bala, P., 2021. Magnetic and dielectric prop-
erties of ZnFe2O4/nanoclay composites synthesized via sol-gel autocombustion. Mater.
Chem. Phys. 271, 124914. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matchemphys.2021.124914.
Hou, Y., Li, X., Zhao, Q., Chen, G., 2013. ZnFe2O4 multi-porous microbricks/graphene hybrid
photocatalyst: facile synthesis, improved activity and photocatalytic mechanism. Appl.
Catal. B Environ. 142–143, 80–88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apcatb.2013.04.062.
Huang, S.tian, Tai, J.xiang, Hao, W.ke, Lu, J.xin, Liu, S.jia, Wu, X.dong, Cui, S., 2022. A novel
magnetic ZnFe2O4 aerogel photocatalyst for visible light reduction of Cr(VI) at high con-
centrations: facile synthesis, enhanced activity and photocatalytic mechanism, combined
16
Science of the Total Environment 872 (2023) 162212
with first-principles calculations. Ceram. Int. 48, 3974–3984. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
ceramint.2021.10.184.
Huang, X., Qin, Y., Ma, Y., Chen, Y., 2019. Preparation and electromagnetic properties of
nanosized ZnFe2O4 with various shapes. Ceram. Int. 45, 18389–18397. https://doi.
org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2019.06.054.
Ibrahim, N., Abbas, H., El-Sayed, N.S., Gad, H.A., 2022. Rosmarinus officinalis L. hexane ex-
tract: phytochemical analysis, nanoencapsulation, and in silico, in vitro, and in vivo
anti-photoaging potential evaluation. Sci. Rep. 12, 13102. https://doi.org/10.1038/
s41598-022-16592-7.
Ighalo, J.O., Yap, P.S., Iwuozor, K.O., Aniagor, C.O., Liu, T., Dulta, K., Iwuchukwu, F.U.,
Rangabhashiyam, S., 2022. Adsorption of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) from the
aqueous environment by nano-adsorbents: a review. Environ. Res. 212, 113123.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2022.113123.
Imraish, A., Abu Thiab, T., Al-Awaida, W., Al-Ameer, H.J., Bustanji, Y., Hammad, H., Alsharif,
M., Al-Hunaiti, A., 2021a. In vitro anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities of
ZnFe2O4 and CrFe2O4 nanoparticles synthesized using Boswellia carteri resin. J. Food
Biochem. 45, e13730. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfbc.13730.
Imraish, A., Al-Hunaiti, A., Abu-Thiab, T., Ibrahim, A.A.-Q., Hwaitat, E., Omar, A., 2021b.
Phyto-facilitated bimetallic ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles via Boswellia carteri: synthesis, char-
acterization, and anti-cancer activity. Anti Cancer Agents Med. Chem. 21, 1767–1772.
https://doi.org/10.2174/1871520621666201218114040.
Jodati, S., Gorji, S., Sharif, A.P., Taramsari, S.M., Salehzadeh, A., 2023. A novel
biosynthesized ZnFe2O4@Ag nanocomposite: implications for cytotoxicity, gene expres-
sion and antiproliferative studies in breast cancer cell line. J. Clust. Sci. 34, 415–426.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10876-022-02234-5.
Jyothish, B., Geethu, U.S., Jacob, J., 2022. Influence of the Ag1+ and Co2+ doping on struc-
tural, optical and anti-cancer properties of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles synthesized by co-
precipitation method. Mater. Sci. Eng. B Solid-State Mater. Adv. Technol. 276, 115544.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mseb.2021.115544.
Khalid Haliru, A.A., Abubakar, A., 2021. Antibacterial Activity of Photocatalyst ZnFe2O4/
TiO2 Composite on Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus).
Chem. Res. J. 6, 89–93.
Khanmohammadi-Sarabi, F., Ghorbani-Choghamarani, A., Aghavandi, H., Zolfigol, M.A.,
2022. ZnFe 2 O 4 @SiO 2-ascorbic acid: green, magnetic, and versatile catalyst for the
synthesis of chromeno[2,3-d] pyrimidine-8-amine and quinazoline derivatives. Appl.
Organomet. Chem. 36, e6768. https://doi.org/10.1002/aoc.6768.
Khoo, K.S., Chia, W.Y., Tang, D.Y.Y., Show, P.L., Chew, K.W., Chen, W.H., 2020. Nanomate-
rials utilization in biomass for biofuel and bioenergy production. Energies 13, 892.
https://doi.org/10.3390/en13040892.
Kiranakumar, H.V., Thejas, R., Naveen, C.S., Khan, M.I., Prasanna, G.D., Reddy, S., Oreijah,
M., Guedri, K., Bafakeeh, O.T., Jameel, M., 2022. A review on electrical and gas-
sensing properties of reduced graphene oxide-metal oxide nanocomposites. Biomass
Convers. Biorefinery https://doi.org/10.1007/s13399-022-03258-7.
Kiruthika, T., Lakshmi, D., Infanta Diana, M., Adlin Helen, P., Christopher Selvin, P., 2022.
One-step green synthesis of ZnFe2O4 anodes for Li-ion batteries. Mater. Today Proc.
68, 2753. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2022.07.105.
Kombaiah, K., Vijaya, J.J., Kennedy, L.J., Bououdina, M., Al-Lohedan, H.A., Ramalingam, R.J.,
2017. Studies on Opuntia dilenii haw mediated multifunctional ZnFe 2 O 4 nanoparticles:
optical, magnetic and catalytic applications. Mater. Chem. Phys. 194, 153–164. https://
doi.org/10.1016/j.matchemphys.2017.03.020.
Korotkova, A.M., Polivanova, O.B., Gavrish, I.A., Baranova, E.N., Lebedev, S.V., 2019. Green
synthesis of zinc based nanoparticles zinc ferrite by Petroselinum crispum. IOP Confer-
ence Series. Earth Environ. Sci.341. IOP Publishing, 12175. https://doi.org/10.1088/
1755-1315/341/1/012175.
Krishnan, S., Murugesan, S., Vasanthakumar, V., Priyadharsan, A., Alsawalha, M., Alomayri,
T., Yuan, B., 2021. Facile green synthesis of ZnFe2O4/rGO nanohybrids and evaluation
of its photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutant, photo antibacterial and cytotoxicity
activities. Colloids Surf. A Physicochem. Eng. Asp. 611, 125835. https://doi.org/10.
1016/j.colsurfa.2020.125835.
Lee, G.J., Lee, S.Y., Kang, N.G., Jin, M.H., 2022. A multi-faceted comparison of phytochemi-
cals in seven citrus peels and improvement of chemical composition and antioxidant ac-
tivity by steaming. LWT 160, 113297. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.2022.113297.
Li, L., Niu, C.G., Guo, H., Wang, J., Ruan, M., Zhang, L., Liang, C., Liu, H.Y., Yang, Y.Y., 2020.
Efficient degradation of levofloxacin with magnetically separable ZnFe2O4/NCDs/
Ag2CO3 Z-scheme heterojunction photocatalyst: Vis-NIR light response ability and mech-
anism insight. Chem. Eng. J. 383, 123192. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2019.123192.
Malakootian, M., Nasiri, A., Asadipour, A., Kargar, E., 2019. Facile and green synthesis of
ZnFe2O4@CMC as a new magnetic nanophotocatalyst for ciprofloxacin degradation
from aqueous media. Process Saf. Environ. Prot. 129, 138–151. https://doi.org/10.
1016/j.psep.2019.06.022.
Maleki, A., Varzi, Z., Hassanzadeh-Afruzi, F., 2019. Preparation and characterization of an
eco-friendly ZnFe2O4@alginic acid nanocomposite catalyst and its application in the syn-
thesis of 2-amino-3-cyano-4H-pyran derivatives. Polyhedron 171, 193–202. https://doi.
org/10.1016/j.poly.2019.07.016.
Malik, A., Khan, J.M., Alhomida, A.S., Ola, M.S., Alshehri, M.A., Ahmad, A., 2022. Metal
nanoparticles: biomedical applications and their molecular mechanisms of toxicity.
Chem. Pap. 76, 6073–6095. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11696-022-02351-5.
Manohar, A., Vijayakanth, V., Kim, K.H., 2021. Influence of Ca doping on ZnFe2O4 nanopar-
ticles magnetic hyperthermia and cytotoxicity study. J. Alloys Compd. 886, 161276.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jallcom.2021.161276.
Matinise, N., Kaviyarasu, K., Mongwaketsi, N., Khamlich, S., Kotsedi, L., Mayedwa, N., Maaza,
M., 2018. Green synthesis of novel zinc iron oxide (ZnFe 2 O 4) nanocomposite via
moringa oleifera natural extract for electrochemical applications. Appl. Surf. Sci. 446,
66–73. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2018.02.187.
Mehdipour, M., Ansari, M., Pournamdari, M., Zeidabadinejad, L., Kazemipour, M., 2021. Se-
lective extraction of malathion from biological fluids by molecularly imprinted polymer
N.T.T. Nguyen et al.
coated on spinel ZnFe 2 O 4 magnetic nanoparticles based on green synthesis. Sep. Sci.
Technol. 56, 1899–1909. https://doi.org/10.1080/01496395.2020.1803912.
Miao, Z., Tao, J., Li, S., Wu, J., Ding, Z., Chen, X., Ma, W., Fan, H.J., 2022. Popcorn-like
ZnFe2O4/CdS nanospheres for high-efficient photocatalyst degradation of rhodamine
B. Colloids Surf. A Physicochem. Eng. Asp. 654, 130127. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
colsurfa.2022.130127.
Mssillou, I., Agour, A., Slighoua, M., Tourabi, M., Nouioura, G., Lyoussi, B., Derwich, E., 2022.
Phytochemical characterization, antioxidant activity, and in vitro investigation of antimi-
crobial potential of Dittrichia viscosa L. leaf extracts against nosocomial infections. Acta
Ecol. Sin. 42, 661–669. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chnaes.2021.09.021.
Muthuvel, A., Jothibas, M., Manoharan, C., 2020. Effect of chemically synthesis compared to
biosynthesized ZnO-NPs using Solanum nigrum leaf extract and their photocatalytic, an-
tibacterial and in-vitro antioxidant activity. J. Environ. Chem. Eng. 8, 103705. https://
doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2020.103705.
Nasiruddin, M., Sinha, S.N., 2020. Phytochemical screening and antioxidant, antibacterial ef-
ficacy of Gynura procumbens (Lour.) Merr. Asian J. Med. Biol. Res. 6, 187–195. https://
doi.org/10.3329/ajmbr.v6i2.48049.
Navidpour, A.H., Fakhrzad, M., 2022. Photocatalytic and magnetic properties of ZnFe2O4
nanoparticles synthesised by mechanical alloying. Int. J. Environ. Anal. Chem. 102,
690–706. https://doi.org/10.1080/03067319.2020.1726331.
Ndolomingo, M.J., Bingwa, N., Meijboom, R., 2020. Review of supported metal nanoparticles:
synthesis methodologies, advantages and application as catalysts. J. Mater. Sci. 55,
6195–6241. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-020-04415-x.
Nguyen, V.T., Le, V.M., Vo, T.S., Bui, L.M., Anh, H.L.T., Danh, V.T., 2020. Preliminary phyto-
chemical screening and determination of total polyphenols and flavonoids content in the
leaves of Houttuynia cordata Thunb. IOP Conf. Ser. Mater. Sci. Eng. 736, 062013.
https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899X/736/6/062013.
Nguyen, D.T.C., Tran, T.V., Nguyen, T.T.T., Nguyen, D.H., Alhassan, M., Lee, T., 2022a. New
frontiers of invasive plants for biosynthesis of nanoparticles towards biomedical applica-
tions: a review. Sci. Total Environ. 857, 159278. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.
2022.159278.
Nguyen, L.T.T., Vo, D.-V.N., Nguyen, L.T.H., Duong, A.T.T., Nguyen, H.Q., Chu, N.M.,
Nguyen, D.T.C., Tran, T.V., 2022b. Synthesis, characterization, and application of
ZnFe2O4@ZnO nanoparticles for photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B under
visible-light illumination. Environ. Technol. Innov. 25, 102130. https://doi.org/10.
1016/j.eti.2021.102130.
Nguyen, N.T.T., Nguyen, L.M., Nguyen, T.T.T., Liew, R.K., Nguyen, D.T.C., Tran, T.V., 2022c.
Recent advances on botanical biosynthesis of nanoparticles for catalytic, water treatment
and agricultural applications: a review. Sci. Total Environ. 827, 154160. https://doi.org/
10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154160.
Nguyen, N.T.T., Nguyen, L.M., Nguyen, T.T.T., Nguyen, T.T., Nguyen, D.T.C., Tran, T.V.,
2022d. Formation, antimicrobial activity, and biomedical performance of plant-based
nanoparticles: a review. Environ. Chem. Lett. 20, 2531–2571. https://doi.org/10.1007/
s10311-022-01425-w.
Nguyen, U.T.P., Bui, D.X.M., Nguyen, T.T.T., Nguyen, N.H., Nguyen, D.T.C., Thuan, V.T.,
2022e. Green synthesis of ZnFe 2 O 4 nanoparticles using Chrysanthemum spp. flower ex-
tract for the adsorption and photocatalytic degradation of malachite green dye. J. Chem.
Technol. Biotechnol. https://doi.org/10.1002/jctb.7305.
Nguyen, N.T.T., Nguyen, L.M., Nguyen, T.T.T., Nguyen, N.H., Nguyen, D.H., Nguyen, D.T.C.,
Tran, T.V., 2023. Green synthesis of ZnFe2O4@ZnO nanocomposites using Chrysanthe-
mum spp. floral waste for photocatalytic dye degradation. J. Environ. Manag. 326,
116746. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.116746.
Pacurariu, R.L., Vatca, S.D., Lakatos, E.S., Bacali, L., Vlad, M., 2021. A critical review of eu key
indicators for the transition to the circular economy. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health
18, 8840. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18168840.
Pagar, K., Ghotekar, S., Pagar, T., Nikam, A., Pansambal, S., Oza, R., Sanap, D., Dabhane, H.,
2020. Antifungal activity of biosynthesized CuO nanoparticles using leaves extract of
Moringa oleifera and their structural characterizations. Asian J. Nanosci. Mater. 3,
15–23. https://doi.org/10.26655/AJNANOMAT.2020.1.2.
Phromma, S., Wutikhun, T., Kasamechonchung, P., Eksangsri, T., Sapcharoenkun, C., 2020.
Effect of calcination temperature on photocatalytic activity of synthesized TiO2 nanopar-
ticles via wet ball milling sol-gel method. Appl. Sci. 10, 993. https://doi.org/10.3390/
app10030993.
Putri, S.A., Amanah, I.N., Susilawati, J., Fabiani, A., 2021. Degradasi Zat Warna Rhodamin-B
Menggunakan Green Fotokatalis Seng Ferit (ZnFe2O4)-Ekstrak Daun Pucuk Idat
(Cratoxylum Glaucum). Fuller. J. Chem 6, 135–142. https://doi.org/10.37033/fjc.v6i2.
341.
Rajeshkumar, S., Bharath, L.V., 2017. Mechanism of plant-mediated synthesis of silver nano-
particles – a review on biomolecules involved, characterisation and antibacterial activity.
Chem. Biol. Interact. 273, 219–227. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbi.2017.06.019.
Rao, M.J., Wu, S., Duan, M., Wang, L., 2021. Antioxidant metabolites in primitive, wild, and
cultivated citrus and their role in stress tolerance. Molecules 26, 5801. https://doi.org/
10.3390/molecules26195801.
Reddy, I.N., Manjunath, V., Shim, J., 2021. Structural and optical properties, electrochemical
impedance spectroscopy, and Mott-Schottky analysis of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticle-decorated
V2O5 rectangular nanosheets for photoelectrochemical applications. J. Environ. Chem.
Eng. 9, 106131. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2021.106131.
Renuka, L., Anantharaju, K.S., Vidya, Y.S., Nagabhushana, H., Uma, B., Malini, S., More, S.S.,
Koppad, P., 2021. Porous network ZrO2/ZnFe2O4 nanocomposite with heterojunction
towards industrial water purification under sunlight: enhanced charge separation and
elucidation of photo-mechanism. Ceram. Int. 47, 14845–14861. https://doi.org/10.
1016/j.ceramint.2020.08.219.
Roseline, T.A., Arunkumar, K., 2022. Potential of silver nanocomposites from seaweeds for
plant protection: an overview. Sustain. Glob. Resour. Seaweeds 1, 567–590. https://
doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-91955-9_30.
17
Science of the Total Environment 872 (2023) 162212
Sahoo, S.K., Panigrahi, G.K., Sahoo, A., Pradhan, A.K., Dalbehera, A., 2021. Bio-hydrothermal
synthesis of ZnO–ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles using Psidium guajava leaf extract: role in waste
water remediation and plant immunity. J. Clean. Prod. 318, 128522. https://doi.org/10.
1016/j.jclepro.2021.128522.
Salachna, P., Pietrak, A., Łopusiewicz, Ł., 2021. Antioxidant potential of flower extracts from
Centaurea spp. depends on their content of phenolics, flavonoids and free amino acids.
Molecules 26, 7465. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26247465.
Senthil, V.P., Gajendiran, J., Raj, S.G., Shanmugavel, T., Ramesh Kumar, G., Parthasaradhi
Reddy, C., 2018. Study of structural and magnetic properties of cobalt ferrite
(CoFe2O4) nanostructures. Chem. Phys. Lett. 695, 19–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
cplett.2018.01.057.
Shaterian, M., Rezvani, A., Abbasian, A.R., 2021. Controllable synthesis of ZnFe2O4 sub-
microparticles by poly (diallyldimethylammonium chloride)-assisted solvothermal
method. J. Polym. Res. 28, 170. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10965-021-02416-1.
Singh, A.K., 2022. A review on plant extract-based route for synthesis of cobalt nanoparticles:
photocatalytic, electrochemical sensing and antibacterial applications. Curr. Res. Green
Sustain. Chem. 5, 100270. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crgsc.2022.100270.
Singh Makhaik, M., Shakya, A.K., Kale, R., 2021. Dietary phytochemicals: as a natural source
of antioxidants. Antioxidants - Benefits, Sources, Mech. Action https://doi.org/10.5772/
intechopen.99159.
Soni, V., Raizada, P., Singh, P., Cuong, H.N., S, R., Saini, A., Saini, R.V., Le, Q.V., Nadda, A.K.,
Le, T.-T., Nguyen, V.-H., 2021. Sustainable and green trends in using plant extracts for the
synthesis of biogenic metal nanoparticles toward environmental and pharmaceutical ad-
vances: a review. Environ. Res. 202, 111622. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2021.
111622.
Sonu, Sharma, S., Dutta, V., Raizada, P., Hosseini-Bandegharaei, A., Thakur, V., Nguyen, V.-
H., VanLe, Q., Singh, P., 2021. An overview of heterojunctioned ZnFe2O4 photocatalyst
for enhanced oxidative water purification. J. Environ. Chem. Eng. 9, 105812. https://doi.
org/10.1016/j.jece.2021.105812.
Soufi, A., Hajiaoui, H., Elmoubarki, R., Abdennouri, M., Qourzal, S., Barka, N., 2021. Spinel
ferrites nanoparticles: synthesis methods and application in heterogeneous Fenton oxida-
tion of organic pollutants – a review. Appl. Surf. Sci. Adv. 6, 100145. https://doi.org/10.
1016/j.apsadv.2021.100145.
Sripriya, R.C., Samson, V.A.F., Anand, S., Madhavan, J., Raj, M.V.A., 2018. Comparative stud-
ies of structural, magnetic and photocatalytic degradation on 4-chlorophenol by ZnFe2O4
nanostructures prepared via cost effective combustion methods. J. Mater. Sci. Mater.
Electron. 29, 14084–14092. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-018-9540-z.
Sun, M.F., Jiang, C.L., Kong, Y.S., Luo, J.L., Yin, P., Guo, G.Y., 2022. Recent advances in ana-
lytical methods for determination of polyphenols in tea: a comprehensive review. Foods
11, 1425. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11101425.
Surendra, B.S., Kiran, T., Chethana, M.V., Savitha, H.S., Paramesh, M.S., 2021. Cost-effective
aegle marmelos extract-assisted synthesis of ZnFe2O4:Cu2+ NPs: photocatalytic and
electrochemical sensor applications. J. Mater. Sci. Mater. Electron. 32, 25234–25246.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-021-06981-5.
Surendra, B.S., Nagaswarupa, H.P., Hemashree, M.U., Khanum, J., 2020a. Jatropha extract
mediated synthesis of ZnFe2O4 nanopowder: excellent performance as an electrochemi-
cal sensor, UV photocatalyst and an antibacterial activity. Chem. Phys. Lett. 739, 136980.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cplett.2019.136980.
Surendra, B.S., Shashi Shekhar, T.R., Veerabhadraswamy, M., Nagaswarupa, H.P.,
Prashantha, S.C., Geethanjali, G.C., Likitha, C., 2020b. Probe sonication synthesis of
ZnFe2O4 NPs for the photocatalytic degradation of dyes and effect of treated wastewater
on growth of plants. Chem. Phys. Lett. 745, 137286. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cplett.
2020.137286.
Suresh, D., Nethravathi, P.C., Rajanaika, H., Nagabhushana, H., Sharma, S.C., 2015. Green
synthesis of multifunctional zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles using Cassia fistula plant ex-
tract and their photodegradative, antioxidant and antibacterial activities. Mater. Sci.
Semicond. Process. 31, 446–454. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mssp.2014.12.023.
Suresh Kumar, G., Srinivasan, R., Karunakaran, G., Kolesnikov, E., Kim, M., Karpenkov, D.Y.,
2021. Microwave-assisted combustion synthesis of soft ferromagnetic spinel MFe2O4 (M
= Ni, Mg, Zn) nanoparticles using Citrus limon fruit extract as a fuel. Appl. Phys. A
Mater. Sci. Process. 127, 546. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-021-04694-4.
Tambunan, A.P., Bahtiar, A., Tjandrawinata, R.R., 2017. Influence of extraction parameters on
the yield, phytochemical, TLC-densitometric quantification of quercetin, and LC-MS pro-
file, and how to standardize different batches for long term from Ageratum conyoides L.
leaves. Pharmacogn. J. 9, 767–774. https://doi.org/10.5530/pj.2017.6.121.
Tatarchuk, T., Paliychuk, N., Pacia Michałand Kaspera, W., Macyk, W., Kotarba Andrzejand
Bogacz, B.F., Pedziwiatr, A.T., Mironyuk, I., Gargula, R., et al., 2019. Structure–redox re-
activity relationships in Co 1- x Zn x Fe 2O 4: the role of stoichiometry. New J. Chem. 43,
3038–3049.
Teixeira, G.G., Santos, P.M., 2022. Simple and cost-effective approaches for quantification of
reducing sugar exploiting digital image analysis. J. Food Compos. Anal. 113, 104719.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfca.2022.104719.
Thavarani, M., Robert, M.C., Pavithra, N., Saravanan, R., Kannan, Y.B., Prasath, S.B., 2022. Ef-
fect of Ca2+ doping on the electronic charge density and magnetic properties of
ZnFe2O4 spinel ferrites. J. Mater. Sci. Mater. Electron. 33, 4116–4131. https://doi.org/
10.1007/s10854-021-07605-8.
Tiwari, N., Kadam, S., Ingole, R., Kulkarni, S., 2022. Facile hydrothermal synthesis of
ZnFe2O4 nanostructures for high-performance supercapacitor application. Ceram. Int.
48, 29478–29483. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2022.06.276.
Tomar, D., Jeevanandam, P., 2022. Synthesis of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles with different mor-
phologies via thermal decomposition approach and studies on their magnetic properties.
J. Magn. Magn. Mater. 564, 170033. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmmm.2022.170033.
Tomar, D., Jeevanandam, P., 2020. Synthesis of cobalt ferrite nanoparticles with different
morphologies via thermal decomposition approach and studies on their magnetic proper-
ties. J. Alloys Compd. 843, 155815. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jallcom.2020.155815.
N.T.T. Nguyen et al.
Tomaszewska, A., Chu, Z., Feng, X., O’Kane, S., Liu, X., Chen, J., Ji, C., Endler, E., Li, R., Liu, L.,
Li, Y., Zheng, S., Vetterlein, S., Gao, M., Du, J., Parkes, M., Ouyang, M., Marinescu, M.,
Offer, G., Wu, B., 2019. Lithium-ion battery fast charging: a review. eTransportation 1,
100011. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.etran.2019.100011.
Tran, T.V., Nguyen, D.T.C., Kumar, P.S., Din, A.T.M., Jalil, A.A., Vo, D.-V.N., 2022a. Green
synthesis of ZrO2 nanoparticles and nanocomposites for biomedical and environmental
applications: a review. Environ. Chem. Lett. 20, 1309–1331. https://doi.org/10.1007/
s10311-021-01367-9.
Tran, T.V., Nguyen, D.T.C., Kumar, P.S., Din, A.T.M., Qazaq, A.S., Vo, D.-V.N., 2022b. Green
synthesis of Mn3O4 nanoparticles using Costus woodsonii flowers extract for effective re-
moval of malachite green dye. Environ. Res. 214, 113925. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
envres.2022.113925.
Tran, T.V., Nguyen, D.T.C., Nguyen, T.T.T., Nguyen, D.H., Alhassan, M., Jalil, A.A., Nabgan,
W., Lee, T., 2022c. A critical review on pineapple (Ananas comosus) wastes for water
treatment, challenges and future prospects towards circular economy. Sci. Total Environ.
856, 158817. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158817.
Umar, A., Harraz, F.A., Ibrahim, A.A., Almas, T., Kumar, R., Al-Assiri, M.S., Baskoutas, S.,
2020. Iron-doped titanium dioxide nanoparticles as potential scaffold for hydrazine
chemical sensor applications. Coatings 10, 182. https://doi.org/10.3390/coat-
ings10020182.
Virkutyte, J., Varma, R.S., 2011. Green synthesis of metal nanoparticles: biodegradable poly-
mers and enzymes in stabilization and surface functionalization. Chem. Sci. 2, 837–846.
https://doi.org/10.1039/C0SC00338G.
Won, J.M., Choi, S.H., Hong, Y.J., Ko, Y.N., Kang, Y.C., 2014. Electrochemical properties of
yolk-shell structured ZnFe2O 4 powders prepared by a simple spray drying process as
anode material for lithium-ion battery. Sci. Rep. 4, 5857. https://doi.org/10.1038/
srep05857.
Xie, T., Xu, L., Liu, C., Wang, Y., 2013. Magnetic composite ZnFe2O4/SrFe12O19: prepara-
tion, characterization, and photocatalytic activity under visible light. Appl. Surf. Sci.
273, 684–691. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2013.02.113.
Xu, C., Huang, S., Huang, Y., Effiong, K., Yu, S., Hu, J., Xiao, X., 2020. New insights into the
harmful algae inhibition by Spartina alterniflora: cellular physiology and metabolism of
extracellular secretion. Sci. Total Environ. 714, 136737. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
scitotenv.2020.136737.
18
Science of the Total Environment 872 (2023) 162212
Yadav, R.S., Anju, Jamatia, T., Kuřitka, I., Vilčáková, J., Škoda, D., Urbánek, P., Machovský,
M., Masař, M., Urbánek, M., Kalina, L., Havlica, J., 2021. Superparamagnetic znfe2o4
nanoparticles-reduced graphene oxide-polyurethane resin based nanocomposites for elec-
tromagnetic interference shielding application. Nanomaterials 11, 1112. https://doi.org/
10.3390/nano11051112.
Yang, B., Zhang, S., Gao, Y., Huang, L., Yang, C., Hou, Y., Zhang, J., 2022. Unique functional-
ities of carbon shells coating on ZnFe2O4 for enhanced photocatalytic hydroxylation of
benzene to phenol. Appl. Catal. B Environ. 304, 120999. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
apcatb.2021.120999.
Yu, M., Gouvinhas, I., Rocha, J., Barros, A.I.R.N.A., 2021. Phytochemical and antioxidant
analysis of medicinal and food plants towards bioactive food and pharmaceutical re-
sources. Sci. Rep. 11, 10041. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-89437-4.
Yu, Y.L., Shi, M.Z., Zhu, S.C., Cao, J., 2022. The two-phase amphiphilic preconcentration
based on surfactants to enrich phenolic compounds from diluted plant extracts and rat
urine by micellar electrokinetic chromatography. Electrophoresis 43, 1735–1745.
https://doi.org/10.1002/elps.202200044.
Zhang, C., Gu, Y., Teng, G., Wang, L., Jin, X., Qiang, Z., Ma, W., 2020. Fabrication of a double-
shell Ag/AgCl/G-ZnFe2O4nanocube with enhanced light absorption and superior photo-
catalytic antibacterial activity. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 12, 29883–29898. https://
doi.org/10.1021/acsami.0c01476.
Zhang, P., Munawar, T., Soltane, R., Javed, M., Liu, G., Iqbal, S., Qamar, M.A., Dera, A.A.,
Alrbyawi, H., Alfakeer, M., Rabea, S., Elkaeed, E.B., 2022. Fabrication of Cr-ZnFe2O4/
S-g-C3N4 heterojunction enriched charge separation for sunlight responsive photocata-
lytic performance and antibacterial study. Molecules 27, 6330. https://doi.org/10.
3390/molecules27196330.
Zhang, W., Camarena, D.C., 2020. Development of ZnFe2O4 nanoparticle functionalized
baker’s yeast composite for effective removal of methylene blue via adsorption and
photodegradation. J. Water Process Eng. 37, 101234. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwpe.
2020.101234.
Zhang, X., Chen, Z., Wu, C., Zhang, J., Wang, F., 2019. Solvothermal synthesis of spinel
ZnFe2O4 nanoparticles with enhanced infrared radiation property. Chem. Phys. Lett.
732, 136647. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cplett.2019.136647.