Cocos nucifera-mediated green synthesis of TiO₂ nanoparticles with enhanced photocatalytic, antibacterial, and antibiofilm activity

This study synthesizes titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO₂ NPs) using pollen extract from Cocos nucifera in an eco-friendly manner and evaluates their multifunctional potentials, such as photocatalytic performance and antibacterial activity. By adjusting pH, metal ion concentration, and reaction time, the optimization parameters were adjusted. UV-Vis spectroscopy, HRTEM, XRD, and FTIR techniques were used to analyze the physicochemical characteristics of the TiO₂ NPs. The presence of functional groups involved in stabilizing nanoparticles was confirmed by FTIR, whereas XRD confirmed crystallite sizes of ~ 17.4 nm, while HRTEM showed particle sizes ranging from 5–100 nm. 86.57% and 70.34%, biofilm inhibition rates observed, and antibacterial experiments showed significant inhibition against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli , respectively, 23.0 mm and 29.5 mm. Photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue achieved 97.8% in the presence of sunlight and 98.5% in the presence of UV radiation for a 180-minute cycle. According to these findings, the green-synthesised TiO₂ NPs have promise for use in conservational and biomedical applications. Their promising photocatalytic effectiveness, good antibacterial and antibiofilm effectiveness, are giving potential applications in infection prevention and wastewater treatment. The adaptability and scalability of using Cocos nucifera as a biogenic agent, as studied to bring supportable nanotechnology for practical applications.