Plant Mediated Approach for the Fabrication of Nano CuO–NiO Mixed Oxides Using Aqueous Extract of Mimusops Elengi Leaf: Green Synthesis, Characterization and Antibacterial Activity Studies

Abstract

Green synthesis of nano mixed metal oxides is very important due to their applications in various fields. In the present work nano copper oxide-nickel oxide mixed oxides (CuO–NiO MOs) were synthesized using an environmentally friendly aqueous extract of Mimusops elengi leaf. The synthesized mixed metal oxides were characterized by using UV–visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Scanning electron microscopy–energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM–EDS), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). TEM and SEM showed that the mixed metal oxides formed as clusters and the nanoparticles had an average size of 30 nm. UV–Vis spectroscopy and FTIR spectroscopy authorized that the phytochemicals of leaf extract acted as capping agents for the synthesis of the mixed metal oxides. The extract of M. elengi leaf exhibited a significant role in the synthesis of mixed metal oxides and that also served as a reducing agent. Nano CuO–NiO MOs showed good antibacterial activity against Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli. Antimicrobial activity studies offered that the nano CuO–NiO MOs can be used in the medical field.