Biomimetic Synthesis of Copper Nanoparticles Using Tinospora Cordifolia Plant Leaf Extract for Photocatalytic Activity Applications

The copper nanoparticles (Cu-NPs), through a novel green synthesis method utilizing Tinospora Cordifolia (TC) aqueous leaf extract as a reducing and stabilizing agent, were synthesized, and investigated for their dye degradation potential. The bio-synthesis process, which is operationally simple, non-toxic, and cost-effective, involves using cupric oxide (CuO) as precursor material. The degradation of dyes in water bodies is challenging research due to their stable nature; therefore, it is essential to develop potential catalyst materials with desirable properties to degrade dyes in water bodies. The CuNPs were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–Vis spectrometer, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and a Fourier transformed infrared spectrometer (FTIR). The FTIR results confirmed the presence of phytochemicals involved in the reduction, capping, and stabilization of CuNPs, which was corroborated by the XRD data. The photo-catalytic activity of biosynthetic CuNPs was studied using methylene blue (MB) dye upon exposure to visible light source irradiation. The results showed that bio-synthesized CuNPs exhibited a high potential for dye degradation for the methylene blue dye in the presence of a visible light source and a dye degradation rate of 81% was achieved. The green-synthesized CuNPs have proven to be a potential candidate for efficiently removing dyes from water bodies and provide a sustainable, environmentally friendly method for producing metal nanoparticles with excellent photo-catalytic properties