Biosynthesis of Copper Oxide Nanoparticles Using Bitter Leaf Extract and Photodegradation Effect on Methylene Blue Dye

A copper oxide nanoparticles was synthesized using bitter leaf extract via hydrothermal technique. The catalyst was applied for the degradation of methyl blue under UV light irradiation. The catalysts were characterized for its physicochemical, optical, and structural properties using XRD, UV-visible, SEM, TEM and FT-IR spectroscopic techniques. Photocatalysis of the methyl orange dye indicates degradation after 1h reaction, while the addition of the copper oxide nanoparticles resulted in the decolouration of the dye to 65%. The efficiency of the catalyst was attributed to the nanoparticle morphology, low band gap, and small crystallite size of the catalyst used.