With a view to engender an advanced oxidation protocol, in the present investigation a very efficient and outperforming catalytic system has been developed which employs peroxymonosulphate (PMS) as oxidant and surface metal functionalized core-shell nanostructures (with ferrite as core coated with shell of dopamine and surface functionalized with transition metal nanoparticles) as catalysts. The present protocol bids fast and facile degradation of organic pollutants without the aid of any promoting radiations. Every component of the developed core-shell nanostructures (M@Dop@CoFe; M = Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu and Zn) has been found to contribute synergistically in the overall oxidative-degradation process. Co@Dop@CoFe presented the best results for the oxidative-degradation of nitrophenols (NP) taken as model pollutants with rate constant values of 8.13 x 10(-1) min(-1), 3.56 x 10(-1) min(-1) and 17.15 x 10(-1) min(-1) for 2-NP, 3-NP and 4-NP respectively. The synthesized core-shell nanocatalysts have been established to be leach-proof and recyclable to a very good extent. (C) 2017 The Society of Powder Technology Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. and The Society of Powder Technology Japan. All rights reserved.