Evaluation of magnetic and electrochemical performance of copper oxide nanoparticles using Myristica fragrans (mace) extract

Abstract

The synthesis of metal oxide nanoparticles using natural extract encourages the futuristic design of an environmentally friendly system by getting rid of the dangerous, toxic substances. The food industry in India is paying a lot of attention to Myristica fragrans, often known as mace, due to its rich medicinal significance. In the current study, M. fragrans (Mace) aqueous extract was used to prepare copper oxide (CuO) nanoparticles. Phytochemical screening confirms the presence of bioactive substances such as alkaloids, sterols, glycosides, and flavonoids in the extract. XRD and SEM measurements show that the nanoparticles have a monoclinic structure with polyhedral shape. Using the Debye-Scherrer formula, the material’s average crystallite size was found to be 85 nm. Based on the Tauc plot, an optical band gap of the prepared CuO NPs was calculated as 2.6 eV. At room temperature, the material’s magnetic property was investigated using VSM analysis. Congo red was used to examine the photocatalytic properties of the materials with various timings. CuO nanoparticles’ antibacterial activity was evaluated at various doses against Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Almost, CuO NPs exhibit better response against both the bacteria. Moreover, research investigations using cyclic voltammetry was carried out to assess the produced nanoparticles’ pseudocapacitive qualities. At a scan rate of 10 mV s−1, the material produced a good specific capacitance of 233.8 F/g with 1 M of KOH as an electrolyte.