Facile synthesis of Cu-Ni bimetallic nanoparticles using peppermint leaf extract for enhanced antimicrobial efficacy and solar-driven photocatalytic activity

In this study, we present a facile and efficient methodology for the green synthesis of Cu-Ni bimetallic nanoparticles, leveraging the potential of peppermint leaf extract as a biogenic reducing agent. The nanoparticles that were synthesized have been subjected to a comprehensive characterization process encompassing a diverse array of spectroscopic techniques, thereby enabling a profound and nuanced understanding of their properties. From the morphological study, egg-shaped nanoparticles with particle size in the range of 3–5 nm was observed. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis reveals the presence of Cu and Ni in both metallic and oxidized states. The as-synthesized nanoparticle has been used as an antimicrobial agent against five pathogenic bacteria, which shows very fruitful results. In addition to that, the efficacy of the nanocomposites has been studied for some solar light–driven photocatalytic dye degradation reactions. Interestingly, within 30 min, all the photocatalytic reactions were complete. However, the activity of nanocomposites was found to vary contingent upon the ratio of Cu/Ni employed. The high magnetic property of the nanocomposites takes the advantage of easy separation from the reaction medium along with recyclability test up to third consecutive cycle.