Recent developments in eco-friendly synthesis of ZnFe2O4 and its composites for multidimensional applications: innovations and future directions

Magnetic nanoparticles, particularly ZnFe₂O₄, hold immense potential in biomedical applications and water treatment owing to its exceptional magnetic properties, unique electronic structure, and biocompatibility. However, the conventional chemical synthetic approaches for ZnFe₂O₄ face significant drawbacks, including the reliance on hazardous chemicals, intricate procedures, and high costs. Bio-inspired fabrication strategies have thus emerged as a favorable alternative, leveraging biomolecules from phytoextracts as natural reducing, capping, and stabilizing agents. This review offers an accessible outlook on the structure and the various intrinsic properties of ZnFe₂O₄-based materials synthesized via green methods, while also providing a comprehensive discussion on the pioneering advancements of these multifunctional materials in environmental remediation, biomedical, heterogeneous catalysis, luminescence, agricultural, and electrochemistry. It examines the innovative modification strategies for enhancing the efficacy and charge carrier dynamics, assessing the influence of plant-mediated synthesis on surface chemistry, morphology, optical properties, particle size, and magnetism in ZnFe₂O₄ composites. Additionally, the review explores the adsorption and photocatalytic performance of these materials in eliminating persistent contaminants, and highlights their potential for other advanced applications such as vector control. In conclusion, aiming at budding researchers, this review identifies the current inherent challenges and proposes future directions for green-synthesized ZnFe₂O₄, positioning them as sustainable alternatives to conventional materials, fostering in-depth research and innovation in these dynamic domains.