Plant extracts assisted synthesis, characterization and antioxidant properties of ZnO: CuO nanocomposites

摘要

Synthesis of various nanostructures using biomolecules as templating agent was an effective method to fabricate functional materials with well defined structure and controllable dimensions. This study reveales the synthesis, Structural and optical characterization and antioxidant activities of ZnO:CuO nanocomposites, synthesized using natural plant extracts such as Tulsi extract (Ocimum Tenuiflorum), Neem extract (Azadirachta Indica) and Aloe Vera Extract (Aloe Barbadansis) as capping agents. Chemical co-precipitation method was adopted for the size controlled preparation of the composites. The obtained ZnO:CuO nanocomposites were characterized by energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) and X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD). The optical properties of the samples were analyzed using UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-DRS). The antioxidant properties ZnO:CuO nanocomposites were investigated using DPPH assay. Anti radical activity assay was based on the reduction of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH). The decrease in absorption of DPPH solution after the addition of samples was measured at 517nm using Ascorbic acid as reference.