Studies on phytomolecules mediated synthesis of copper oxide nanoparticles for biomedical and environmental applications

The present study focuses on phytosynthesis of copper oxide nanoparticles (CuONPs) using the aqueous leaf extracts of Gomphrena globosa (G. globosa) and Gomphrena serrata (G. serrata) for the first time. The prepared CuONPs were characterized by UV-Visible spectrophotometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Dynamic light scattering (DLS), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The synthesized NPs showed an average particle size of 345 and 380 nm with two different geometries of rods and spheres. These phytosynthesized CuONPs showed antibacterial activity against B. subtilis, E. coli, P. aeruginosa, and in vitro cytotoxicity against hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells. Finally, the photocatalytic activity of the CuONPs was evaluated against crystal violet dye using the sunlight irradiation method, wherein 84-96% of dye degradation was recorded. The results suggest that the synthesized CuONPs are novel, eco-friendly and cost-effective, which can be further applied for pharmaceutical applications and bioremediation.