Degradation of 4-amino pyridine onto cuprous oxide nanoparticles synthesized from Tabernaemontana divaricate extract

Department of Chemical Engineering, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar National Institute of Technology, Jalandhar-144 011,

Punjab, India

E-mail: gargs@nitj.ac.in

Manuscript received online 03 December 2019, revised and accepted 27 December 2019

In the present study, Cu₂O nanoparticles has been synthesized from Tabernaemontana divaricate leaves extract and were analyzed using various characterization techniques UV-Vis, FT-IR and AFM. FT-IR spectra displayed the presence of protein/ enzymes along with the aromatics in the spectra of Cu₂O NPs that revealed the formation of Cu₂O NPs from plant mediated biosynthesis. The catalytic activity of Cu₂O nanoparticles was further investigated in a batch photocatalytic reactor for the degradation of 4-amino pyridine using an artificial light source. Under an optimum conditions of initial solution pH: 3, catalyst dose: 0.8 g/L and initial 4-amino pyridine concentration: 5 mg/L, the Cu₂O NPs showed 80% degradation and 82% mineralization of 4-amino pyridine.