Bifunctionalized NiFe2O4 nanospheres loaded on petal-like Bi2WO6 composites with escalated antibiotic photodegradation and bacterial inactivation based on internal electric field

Decontamination of multiple persistent and refractory pollutants in surrounding environment have remained towering challenges to public health, which demands devising photocatalyst with balanced band gap and effective charge segregation. Herein, NiFe2O4 nanospheres anchored on petal-like Bi2WO6 (NFO/BWO) photocatalyst was engineered via a two-step hydrothermal route for photocatalytic antibiotic degradation and antibacterial trait. Comprehensive structural, optical and photoelectrochemical characterization tests divulged that NFO/BWO exhibited a low charge transfer resistance and an extended visible light absorption range. Under visible light, the NFO/BWO achieved 95.5 % chlortetracycline hydrochloride (CTH) degradation in 120 min (rate constant = 0.022 min?1) through redox pathways dominated by superoxide anion and hydroxyl radicals. Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analyses proceeding through the disclosure of intermediate pathways, led to a pronounced reduction in toxicity. Additionally, a broad-spectrum of antibacterial activities (100 % growth inhibition of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus as well as cytoplasmic integrity leakages) witnessed the strong bactericidal effect over NFO/BWO. The prominent outcomes were owing to the delicate design of S-scheme heterojunction with the aid in building an internal electrical field to boost charge carrier transport for unprecedented efficiencies in pollutant abatement and pathogen inactivation, affording an efficient and bifunctionalized photocatalyst for sustainable environment. © 2026 Elsevier B.V.