The innovation and development of water purification methods have been at the center of extensive research for several decades. Many nanoparticles are frequently seen in industrial waste water. In this research, zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO) were synthesized following an autocombustion method with and without honey capping. Structural crystallinity and bonding structure were examined via X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Optical behavior was analyzed using ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy and photoluminescence (PL). Size estimation and surface morphology were studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), while energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) was performed to analyze the sample purity and elemental composition. The photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) by ZnO was assessed as it is an efficient water treatment process with high potential. The biological activity of ZnO nanoparticles was also investigated in terms of antibacterial and antifungal activities against different bacterial and fungal species. Surprisingly, the as-synthesized ZnO nanoparticles were found to be substantially bioactive compared to conventional drugs. Honey-mediated nanoparticles displayed 86% dye degradation efficiency, and that of bare ZnO was 60%. Therefore, the involvement of honey in the synthesis of ZnO nanoparticles has great potential due to its dual applicability in both biological and environmental remediation processes.

Visible light-driven photocatalyst BiFeO3 (BFO) nanoparticles were synthesised by the auto-combustion method. The honey was used to fuel the auto combustion method to synthesise the BFO nanoparticles. The structural, optical and morphological activities of the bismuth loaded BFO nanoparticles were characterised by X-ray diffraction (XRD), FTIR, UV, photoluminescence (PL) and SEM analysis, respectively. The bismuth content modifies the lattice parameters of XRD and reduces the bandgap energy. The observed crystallite size varies from 19 to 27 nm and the bandgap region is 2.07 to 2.21 eV. The photo-charge carriers increased upon the BFO nanoparticles and their emission at 587 nm in the visible region of the PL spectrum. The 2% bismuth loaded BFO nanoparticles showed better morphology than 0% and 5% bismuth loaded BFO nanoparticles. The oxidation state of BFO nanoparticles and their binding energies were characterised by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) analysis. The methylene blue dye (MB) degradation against 2% BFO nanoparticles showed enhanced catalytic activity (81%) than the remaining samples of BFO nanoparticles. The bacterial activity of BFO nanoparticles was assessed against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, including S. aureus and E. coli. 2% Excess bismuth BFO nanoparticles exhibit better antibacterial activity. Comparatively, 2% Excess bismuth BFO nanoparticles derived an outstanding crystallinity, charge separation, and reduced bandgap activities. Based on these findings, BFO nanoparticles may be applicable in drug delivery and water remediation applications.

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