Abstract

This work describes a sustainable and efficient methodology for incorporating cuprous oxide nanoparticles into MIL-100(Fe) through functionalization with Cryptolepis buchanani Roem. & Schult extract, giving rise to a nanocomposite referred to as Cu<inf>2</inf>O@MIL-100(Fe). This composite provides a strategy for antimicrobial treatments and catalytic degradation of azo dye pollutants. The analysis delves into the physiochemical properties of the resulting composite materials, assessing their potential for antibacterial activity against both Gram-negative (Acinetobacter baumannii) and Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus), and their efficacy in catalyzing the decomposition of methyl orange dye. The successful integration of Cu<inf>2</inf>ONPs into MIL-100(Fe) was confirmed using transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller analysis. Functionalizing MIL-100(Fe) with the extract resulted in an average Cu<inf>2</inf>ONPs size of 4.28 ± 0.87 nm, exhibiting uniform distribution within the structure of MIL-100(Fe). DFT model calculations reveal the low-spin octahedral-site Fe³⁺ of MIL-100, which is favorable for binding to the phenolic compounds in the plant extract. Antibacterial activity tests indicated a significant enhancement in antibacterial properties, with minimum inhibitory concentrations of 1.5 and 3 mg mL⁻¹ against Acinetobacter baumannii and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively. The synthesized Cu<inf>2</inf>O@MIL-100(Fe) exhibited effective catalytic activity in the degradation of methyl orange dye, with a pseudo-first-order rate constant ranging from 0.4237 to 0.5160 min⁻¹, contingent upon the catalyst quantity, achieving complete degradation within 8 min. These findings provide valuable insights into the sustainable, non-toxic, and cost-effective synthesis process for Cu<inf>2</inf>ONPs, highlighting their potential as catalysts in water purification processes and as antimicrobial components in disinfectant formulations.