Antibacterial and photocatalytic properties of copper-cobaltite (CuCo2O4) nanostructures synthesized via facile plasma-assisted electrochemical process

Leaf-like Copper-Cobaltite nanostructures (CuCo2O4 NSs) were synthesized by the facile atmospheric pressure microplasma technique. The formation of CuCo2O4 spinel was confirmed by X-ray diffraction pattern, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Results confirmed the spinel phase leaf-like CuCo2O4 NSs with bandgap energy of 2.34 eV. The effect of CuCo2O4 nanostructures as an antimicrobial agent was evaluated against E. coli and S. aureus by the disc diffusion method. The results demonstrated that the tested samples exhibited significant antibacterial efficacy at higher concen-trations. The performance of CuCo2O4 NSs has also been investigated against the degradation of methylene blue (MB) aqueous solution in direct solar irradiation. The electrical conductivity was calculated by the four-probe technique and was found to be 1.88 S/cm. Results showed that about 84 % degradation was recorded for MB dye in the presence of CuCo2O4 photocatalyst after 110 min of irradiation time. These favorable results initiate a step toward electrical components of nanodevices such as supercapacitors, lithium-ion batteries, biomedical applications, and environmental applications in the removal of organic pollutants from wastewater.