Biosynthesis of Ag-CuO Nanocomposites: Efficient Catalyst for the Synthesis of Schiff Bases, Photodegradation of Congo Red Dye and Their Cytotoxicity Evaluation on MCF-7 Cell Line

Amid growing environmental concerns and the need for a sustainable future, green synthetic methodologies are gaining popularity for their simplicity and nontoxicity. In pursuit of the eco-friendly synthesis of nanomaterials, the study reports an innovative synthesis of Ag-CuO nanocomposites via the coprecipitation method utilizing Citrus limetta fruit juice extract as the bioreductant and stabilizing agent. The morphological and structural characteristics of the fabricated nanocomposites were evaluated by ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-vis DRS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analyses. The nanocomposites were crystalline with particle sizes ranging from 15 to 24 nm and exhibited spherical and rod-like shapes. The band gap value and specific surface area of the nanocomposites were found to be 1.5 eV and 25.50 m(2)/g, respectively. The photoluminescence (PL) analysis and electrochemical studies revealed significant charge separation and effective charge migration behaviour of the nanocomposites, respectively. The nanocomposites effectively catalysed the synthesis of Schiff bases from aryl aldehydes and aromatic amines at room temperature and without solvents. The reactions proceeded in a brief time with excellent product yields, and the nanocatalyst retained its activity for five consecutive cycles. The nanocomposites also efficiently catalysed the photodegradation of Congo red dye under visible light. A significant degradation of 94.33% was attained in 55 min, and the nanocatalyst maintained its efficacy over four consecutive reaction cycles. Moreover, the nanocomposites exhibited notable anticancer properties against the MCF-7 (human breast) cell line, demonstrating a remarkable cytotoxicity rate of 87.79%. The findings highlight the efficacy of the biosynthesized nanocomposites in catalysis, environmental remediation and biological applications.