Tailoring CuO loading on CoFeO nanocubes photocatalyst for superior photocatalytic degradation of triclosan pollutants under VL irradiation and toxicological evaluation.

In this study, we report the development of a novel CuO(3 wt%)/CoFeO nanocubes (NCs) photocatalyst through simple co-precipitation and wet impregnation methods for the efficient photocatalytic degradation of triclosan (TCS) pollutants. Initially, rod-shaped bare CoFeO was synthesized using a simple co-precipitation technique. Subsequently, CuO was loaded in various percentages (1, 2, and 3 wt%) onto the surface of bare CoFeO nanorods (NRs) via the wet impregnation method. The synthesized materials were systematically characterized to evaluate their composition, structural and electrical characteristics. The CuO(3 wt%)/CoFeO NCs photocatalyst exhibited superior photocatalytic degradation efficiency of TCS (89.9%) compared to bare CoFeO NRs (62.1 %), CuO(1 wt%)/CoFeO (80.1 %), CuO(2 wt%)/CoFeO (87.0 %) under visible light (VL) irradiation (λ ≥ 420 nm), respectively. This enhanced performance was attributed to the improved separation effectiveness of photogenerated electron (e) and hole (h) in CuO(3 wt%)/CoFeO NCs. Furthermore, the optimized CuO(3 wt%)/CoFeO NCs exhibited strong stability and reusability in TCS degradation, as demonstrated by three successive cycles. Genetic screening on Caenorhabditis elegans showed that CuO(3 wt%)/CoFeO NCs reduced ROS-induced oxidative stress during TCS photocatalytic degradation. ROS levels decreased at 30, 60, and 120-min intervals during TCS degradation, accompanied by improved egg hatching rates. Additionally, expression levels of stress-responsible antioxidant proteins like SOD-3GFP and HSP-16.2GFP were significantly normalized. This study demonstrates the efficiency of CuO(3 wt%)/CoFeO NCs in degrading TCS pollutants, offers insights into toxicity dynamics, and recommends its use for future environmental remediation.