Photocatalytic Decomposition of Methylene Blue Using CuO Nanoparticles Green Synthesized via Prunus serrulata Leaf Extract

The green synthesis of nanoparticles using plant-based materials has gained significant attention in the fields of nanotechnology and biotechnology. Plant-derived extracts play a crucial role in both the reduction and stabilization processes during the synthesis of metal/metal oxide (M/MOx) nanoparticles (NPs). Key phytochemicals, including polyphenols, terpenoids, flavonoids, and phenolic acids, are responsible for facilitating these reduction and stabilization mechanisms in green synthesis methods. Copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) have emerged as valuable materials with diverse applications in photocatalysis, solar energy conversion, and biomedical research, participating in a wide range of reactions. Prunus serrulata leaves, rich in flavonoids, have been utilized for the first time as a natural source for the synthesis of CuO NPs, serving as both reducing and capping agents. The synthesis resulted in a crystal structure for the CuO NPs, attributed to interactions with flavonoids and nanoparticle agglomeration. Morphological analysis using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) revealed that CuO NPs were spherical with an average size of 20-25 nm. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) confirmed that the synthesized CuO NPs consisted solely of CuO, along with carbon atoms derived from the flavonoid molecules in Prunus serrulata leaf extract. The photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB), a representative synthetic dye commonly found in industrial wastewater from sectors such as textiles, paper production, and pharmaceuticals, was effectively achieved using CuO NPs synthesized via Prunus serrulata leaf extract. This demonstrates the potential of plant-mediated CuO NPs for environmental remediation applications, particularly in addressing synthetic dye contamination.