Biological synthesis of copper nanoparticles using plant extract

Copper nanoparticles were biologically synthesized using plant leaf extract as reducing agent. On treatment of aqueous solution of CuSO4 center dot 5H(2)O with Magnolia leaf extract, stable copper nanoparticles were formed. UV-vis spectroscopy was used to monitor the quantitative formation of copper nanoparticles. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized with inductively coupled plasma spectrometry (ICP), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM). Electron microscopy analysis of copper nanoparticles indicated that they ranged in size from 40 to 100 nm. Antibacterial tests were carried out by counting viable Escherichia coli cells after 24 h growth in shake flasks containing latex foams coated with copper nanoparticles. As a result, foams coated with biologically synthesized copper nanoparticles showed higher antibacterial activity compared with foams untreated. As possible ecofriendly alternatives to chemical and physical methods, biologically synthesized nanoparticles using plant extracts may have applications in various human body-contacting areas.