Biosynthesis of Ag-Doped CuO Nanoparticles Using Heracleum persicum Extract for Enhanced Antibacterial and Photocatalytic Dye Degradation Properties

The utilization of natural resources in the synthesis of nanoparticles has emerged as a cost-effective and environmentally sustainable strategy, fostering significant advancements in various fields. This study presents the synthesis of copper oxide nanoparticles doped with silver nanoparticles utilizing Heracleum persicum (H. persicum) extract (CuO-Ag@H. persicum). Characterization techniques including XRD, FT-IR, SEM, and TEM confirmed the successful synthesis of homogeneous CuO-Ag@H. persicum nanoparticles without impurities, exhibiting a spherical morphology with sizes ranging from 35 to 65 nm. The incorporation of silver nanoparticles on the surface of the copper oxide introduces unique optical properties, notably the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) phenomenon, enhancing photocatalytic activity. Under UV and sunlight irradiation, CuO-Ag@H. persicum nanoparticles displayed superior photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants (rhodamine B and erythrosine) compared to pure copper oxide nanoparticles. Remarkably, under UV light, CuO-Ag@H. persicum nanoparticles achieved degradation percentages of 97.6