PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES AND FUNCTIONAL PERFORMANCE OF CuO-NiO NANOCOMPOSITE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL AND ANTIBACTERIAL APPLICATIONS
Pure CuO and CuO–NiO nanocomposite were synthesised via a chemical process. The existence of cubic NiOandmonoclinic CuO phases was confirmed by structural analyses. EDS showed the existence of elements Cu, Ni, andOwithout any discernible impurities; SEM analysis showed nanoscale aggregated morphologies. FTIR spectra showedcharacteristic Cu–O and Ni–O vibrations, and UV–Vis absorption studies revealed a robust visible-light responsewith a narrowed band gap upon NiO incorporation. When exposed to visible light, the CuO–NiOcompositedegraded the methylene blue dye more effectively than pure CuO. The efficient separation of photogeneratedelectron-hole pairs and effective charge transfer across the interface are all responsible for the enhancedphotocatalytic activity of the nanocomposite system. Similarly, the composite system exhibited stronger inhibitionagainst microorganisms due to its components' synergistic interaction and improved surface interface with bacterial cell membranes, which increased oxidative stress and effectively inhibited bacterial growth. The developedcomposite material can be considered as an integrated system for catalytic and microbial inhibition applications.
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