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Green mediated sol-gel synthesis of copper oxide nanoparticle: An efficient candidate for waste water treatment and antibacterial agent

  • Original Paper: Sol-gel and hybrid materials for catalytic, photoelectrochemical and sensor applications
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Abstract

The synthesis of copper oxide nanoparticles gained considerable attraction in various fields such as biomedical, catalysis, and water purification. The current study report a simple and cost-effective green based sol-gel auto combustion method for the preparation of copper oxide nano catalyst. Lemon juice enriched with various phytochemicals has been found to be, an ideal medium for the synthesis of copper oxide nanoparticles. The decomposition of the metal-citrate-nitrate gel and formation of copper oxide nanoparticles were evaluated by the aid of TG, DTG and DTA analysis. XRD, FTIR and UV analysis confirmed the formation of copper oxide in the nano range. The surface morphology and surface features of the synthesized material were also assessed by using SEM, EDAX, TEM, XPS and BET characterization techniques. The synthesized copper oxide nanoparticles found to exhibit acceptable antibacterial efficacy against E.coli and B.subtilis. The antibacterial nature of the nanomaterial make them more suitable for biomedical applications. The catalytic activity of copper oxide nanoparticles was evaluated by performing the reduction of p-nitrophenol and degradation of rhodamine B with the assistance of NaBH4. This method provides a simple, highly economic and environmentally benign route for the synthesis of efficient copper oxide nanoparticle and overcome all the demerits of colloidal synthesis.

Graphical Abstract

Graphical abstract describes lime juice mediated sol-gel synthesis of copper oxide nanoparticles and its excellent catalysy efficiency towards the reduction of p-nitrophenol and, antibacterial efficacy towards various harmful pathogens.

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The authors confirm that the datasets generated and analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge KSCSTE, Government of Kerala and the DST, Government of India for the instrumentation facilities provided under the SARD (No.612/2016/KSCSTE) and FIST schemes (SR/FIST/College-238/2014(c). Authors also acknowledge STIC-CUSAT Kochi for providing TEM facility. One of the author EJ acknowledge University Grant Commission Delhi (UGC) and RRK acknowledge Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR; Government of India) for providing research fellowship. The authors extend their gratitude to Dr. Sudeesh N, Assistant Professor, NSS College Cherthala for the fruitful discussion about TON and TOF.

Author contributions

EJ: Conceptualization, Investigation, Formal Analysis, and Writing original draft. RRK: Formal Analysis & Reviewing SRC: Formal analysis PKH: Resources, Conceptualization, Validation, Reviewing & Editing, Supervision, Project Administration.

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Johnson, E., Krishnan, R.R., Chandran, S.R. et al. Green mediated sol-gel synthesis of copper oxide nanoparticle: An efficient candidate for waste water treatment and antibacterial agent. J Sol-Gel Sci Technol 107, 697–710 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-023-06172-0

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