Enhanced photocatalytic activity and antiviral evaluation of CuO@Fe2O3 NC for amoxicillin degradation and SARS-CoV-2 treatment

Abstract

Abstract Copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) and CuO NPs decorated with hematite (Fe2O3) nanocomposites (CuO@Fe2O3 NC) were biosynthesized by a green method using Portulaca oleracea leaves extract. The NC were characterized using various techniques, including x-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, and UV–vis spectroscopy. The results showed that the synthesized CuO and CuO@Fe2O3 NC were crystalline with a monoclinic crystal structure and contained functional groups responsible for catalytic activity. The size of the nanocomposites ranged from 39.5 to 45.9 nm, and they exhibited a variety of agglomerated or aggregated shapes. The CuO@Fe2O3 NC showed improved photocatalytic activity for the degradation of antibiotics in water and wastewater and promising antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2, indicating its potential for use in disinfection applications. The study investigated the impact of irradiation time on the photocatalytic degradation of Amoxicillin and found that increasing the irradiation time led to a higher degradation rate. The band gap energy (E g) for pure CuO NPs was around 2.4 eV and dropped to 1.6 eV with CuO@Fe2O3 NC. In summary, the CuO@Fe2O3 NC has the potential to be an efficient photocatalyst and promising antiviral agent for environmental remediation. The CuO@Fe2O3 nanocomposites have been found to possess a high degree of efficacy in inactivating SARS-CoV-2 infectivity. The results of the study indicate that the nanocomposites exhibit potent anti-viral properties and hold significant potential for use in mitigating the spread of the virus.