Biofabrication, characterization and evaluation of photocatalytic dye degradation efficiency of Syzygium alternifolium leaf extract mediated copper oxide nanoparticles

The present study was aimed at biofabrication of copper oxide nanoparticles (CuONPs) using Syzygium alternifoliumleaf extract and evaluation of their dye degradation potential. Themorphological studies of CuONPs were carried out using different spectroscopic andmicroscopic tools. For synthesis purpose, Syzygiumalternifolium leaves were collected from Nagatheertham area of Tirumala forest, Andhra Pradesh, India. Upon synthesis, the gradual color change frombrownto dark brownwas occurred and a broad peak obtained at 282 nm with UV-vis spectroscopy specified the presence of copper oxide. The broad peaks at 3310 and 1638 cm(-1) wavenumber, as portrayed by FT-IRanalysis corroborate the presence of phenols and primary amines. It indicates the involvement of these two functional groups in capping and stabilization of nanoparticles. The DLS and theZeta potential studies confirm 11.7 nm average size and-43.5mVof Zeta potential value of the nanoparticles. The 08 Bragg reflections obtained fromXRDstudy confirmthe identity of synthesized nanoparticles asCuONPs and their average size was estimated as 17.2 nm. Themicroscopic tools vizAFM, SEMand TEMrevealed the spherical shape and 3 to 85nmsize of the particles. These CuONPs were well settled in non-agglomerated state with poly-dispersed condition. The dye degradation potential of theCuONPs was found to increase with the increase in time of exposure to sunlight. From the result it can be inferred that medicinal plants can be exploited for the synthesis of nanoparticles and these biofabricated nanoparticles may find various applications in nano based industries.