Facile combustion synthesis of highly crystalline CuO nanoparticles for catalytic agent

The synthesis and application of metal oxide-based nanoparticles have emerged as a vital area of research in materials science due to their unique properties and potential to revolutionize various technological fields. This study focuses on the preparation and characterization of copper oxide (CuO) nanoparticles synthesized using copper acetate monohydrate (Cu(OAc)2·H2O) as the precursor and a solvent system composed of ethanol and ethylene glycol (60:40 V/V) in the presence of atmospheric oxygen. The process involved combustion on a spirit lamp, resulting in the formation of CuO nanoparticles, which were subsequently purified via calcination in a muffle furnace at 600 °C to eliminate carbonaceous residues. The final yield of CuO nanoparticles was 75.15%. STM revealed particle sizes below 10 nm (8.4± 1.2 nm), whereas SEM indicated aggregated clusters ranging from 100 to 180 nm (138± 24 nm), underscoring the influence of analytical resolution on particle size interpretation. EDS confirmed the elemental presence of Cu and O, while FTIR and XRD analyses verified the presence of monoclinic CuO and characteristic vibrational bands. Crucially, the synthesized CuO nanoparticles demonstrated a photocatalytic degradation efficiency of 23% for Orange G dye, significantly outperforming commercial CuO, which showed no photocatalytic activity. This disparity highlights the importance of nanoparticle morphology and crystallinity in catalytic behavior. This work underscores the importance of developing synthesis strategies for metal oxide nanoparticles with tailored surface and structural properties. Such research holds promising implications for advancing photocatalysis, environmental remediation, and the broader field of nanotechnology-driven science and engineering.