Green synthesis and characterization of CuO, Fe2O3 and CuO/Fe2O3 compounds investigation

Abstract

Green chemistry techniques are increasingly being used to produce nanomaterials from easily accessible natural resources. The present study utilized a cost-effective and environmentally sustainable method to separately synthesize copper oxide, iron oxide, and mixed oxide nanoparticles. Copper (II) nitrate trihydrate and iron (III) nitrate nonahydrate were utilized as precursors with the help of fruit peel extracts. The nano-oxides were synthesized from the local fruit peels, specifically orange, cherry, and sidra (Ziziphus jujuba), by a simple procedure that involved heating the peels with distilled water, filtration, adding precursor, and calcination. Experiments were conducted on the resultant powders to evaluate their structural, biological, and physical characteristics. The results of the X-ray diffraction analysis showed that pure crystallite structures of CuO and Fe2O3 were formed, ternary compound CuFeO2 (delafossite), and CuO/Fe2O3 (nanocomposite) were synthesized, and their purity was verified through energy dispersive X-rays (EDX). The findings from scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and particle size analysis (PSA) revealed that the nanoparticles are semi-spherical, with particle sizes ranging from 83.9 to 118.7 nm for CuO, from 95.2 to 119.8 nm for Fe2O3, and from 60.6 to 90.4 nm for mixed oxides extracted from three fruit peels. The conducted experiments on bacterial and fungal resistance revealed that the produced oxides are effective antibacterial and antifungal particles. The synthesized nanoparticles were also analyzed through AFM and Toxicity.