Phytogenic Synthesis of Cuprous and Cupric Oxide Nanoparticles Using Leaf Extract: Antibacterial Effects and Their Computational Docking Insights.

Green synthesized nanoparticles (NPs) have gained increasing popularity in recent times due to their broad spectrum of antimicrobial properties. This study aimed to develop a phytofabrication approach for producing cuprous (CuO) and cupric oxide (CuO) NPs using a simple, non-hazardous process and to examine their antimicrobial properties. The synthesis employed plant extract as a natural reducing and stabilizing agent, alongside copper chloride dihydrate as the precursor. The biosynthesized NPs were characterized through various techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). XRD analysis confirmed that the synthesized CuO and CuO NPs exhibited a high degree of crystallinity, with crystal structures corresponding to monoclinic and face-centered cubic systems. SEM images revealed that the NPs displayed distinct spherical and sponge-like morphologies. EDS analysis further validated the purity of the synthesized CuO NPs. The antimicrobial activity of the CuO and CuO NPs was tested against various pathogenic bacterial strains, including , , , and , with the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) used to gauge their effectiveness. The results showed that the phytosynthesized NPs had promising antibacterial properties, particularly the CuO NPs, which, with a larger crystal size of 68.19 nm, demonstrated significant inhibitory effects across all tested bacterial species. These findings suggest the potential of CuO and CuO NPs as effective antimicrobial agents produced via green synthesis.