FORTUNELLA MARGARITA LEAF EXTRACT: SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION AND CHARACTERISATION OF COPPER AND ZINC OXIDE NANOPARTICLES

Abstract

This research focuses on the environmentally sustainable and economical process of producing copper and zinc oxide nanoparticles by using an extract from Fortunella margarita (kumquat) leaves. Absorption peaks at 560 nm for CuNPs and 380 nm for ZnONPs were found during the characterization of the nanoparticles using UV-Vis spectroscopy. ZnO NPs were shown to have less antibacterial activity than Cu NPs when the produced nanoparticles were tested against E. coli by Disc Diffusion approach. The study evaluated the nanoparticle's photocatalytic breakdown efficiency in the presence of sunlight using methylene blue dye. Compared to 47% for Cu NPs, ZnO NPs had higher photocatalytic activity, at 64%. It’s clear from this how useful ZnO NPs are for cleaning up the environment, especially when it comes to breaking down organic contaminants. With Cu NPs excelling in antibacterial applications and ZnO NPs displaying great efficiency as dye degradants, the work shows the dual functionality of kumquat-produced nanoparticles and lights the way for sustainable and multifunctional nanomaterials