Optical, catalytic and antibacterial properties of phytofabricated CuO nanoparticles using Tecoma castanifolia leaf extract

The present study focused on facile and eco-friendly fabrication of copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) using Tecoma castanifolia leaf extract. The UV-vis spectroscopy and TEM analysis confirmed that the phytofabricated CuO NPs are spherical and the size less than 100nm. FTIR analysis explained that functional groups of phytochemicals in leaf extract and CuO were present in the CuO NPs. Phytofabricated CuO NPs exhibits efficient catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) to 4-aminophenol (4-AP) within 14min and reaction follows pseudo-first-order kinetics with the apparent rate constant (k(app)) of 0.18 min(-1). Environmentally benign CuO NPs synthesized by T. castanifolia leaf extract enhances catalytic reduction and CuO NPs based catalysis may be useful in industrial production of 4-AP. CuO NPs showed better antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The bactericidal efficacy of T. castanifolia leaf extract derived CuO NPs showed that it can be utilized as an cost effective, efficient antibacterial agent in food, pharmaceutical and textile industries. (C) 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.