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[Display omitted] • Facile microwave combustion synthesis of Cu 1-x Co x Fe 2 O 4 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.5) NPs is reported. • Synthesis of CuFe 2 O 4 at all Co contents is noticed to be monophasic cubic. • The band gap has been enhanced from 2.30 to 2.50 eV on Co doping. • The M s values are found to be improved from 17.40 to 24.80 emu/g with Co doping. • An enhancement in photocatalytic activity of CuFe 2 O 4 NPs was observed with Co doping. Magnetic nanoparticles are found to have tremendous applications towards opto-magnetic-photocatalytic fields. Hence, herein authors make the efforts to prepare CuFe 2 O 4 (CFe) nanoparticles (NPs) with different Co contents Cu 1- x Co x Fe 2 O 4 (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.5) (CCFe NPs) through microwave combustion process for the first time. Mono phasic preparation of CFe NPs at all Co contents was confirmed via structural analysis. The oxidations states of the prepared NPs were carried out via X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The morphological analysis and chemical compositions of the prepared samples were observed by high resolution scanning electron microscopy (HRSEM) with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) respectively. Kubelka-Munk model was used to estimate energy gap and found between 2.30 and 2.50 eV. The electron and hole pairs recombination rate and presence of defects were studied via Photoluminescence spectra. The saturation magnetization, M S , remanant magnetization, M r and coercivity, H C were obtained to be improved from 17.40 to 24.80 emu/g, 5.18 to 8.73 emu/g & 331.89 to 1698.12 Oe, respectively. A detailed photocatalytic nature of the prepared CFe and CCFe NPs via hazardous RhB dye degrading beneath of irradiation of visible light (λ > 420 nm) was carried out. The possible mechanism of RhB dye degradation along with optimum Co doping in CFe and commanding active species has been discussed. These outcomes reveal that the Co doping play a key role in improving the optical band gap, magnetic and photocatalytic properties of CFe NPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]