One pot synthesis of CuO-NiO nanoparticles using Aegle marmelos fruit extract and their antimicrobial activity

Abstract

In this study, bimetallic Copper oxide and nickel oxide nanoparticles (CuO-NiO NPs) were synthesized using a green approach that utilized Aegle marmelos fruit extract as fuel. The solution-combustion technique was found to be effective in the synthesis of CuO-NiO NPs. Phytochemical screening of the aqueous extract revealed the presence of terpenoids, alkaloids, glycosides, flavonoids, reducing sugar, and phlobatannin. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed that the bimetallic CuO-NiO NPs had a face-centered cubic structure with a crystallite length of 15 nm. The surface morphology of the CuO-NiO NPs was analyzed using SEM, revealing that the particles were agglomerated, and the size of the NPs was estimated to range from 50 nm to 100 nm. EDX analysis showed the presence of elemental copper oxide and nickel oxide nanoparticles, with the weight percentage of Ni being comparatively higher than Cu. Elemental mapping indicated the distribution of copper, Nickel and oxygen. The synthesized CuO-NiO NPs were tested for their antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis using an agar well diffusion approach, and they demonstrated a potent antimicrobial effect against bacterial pathogens. These findings confirm that green-synthesized nanoparticles have potential antimicrobial activity.