Copper oxide nanoparticles with a particle size ranging from 80 to 160 nm were prepared by a wet chemical procedure. Copper carbonate hydroxide and sodium hydroxide were used as raw materials. Copper hydroxide was generated as a precursor which was thermally decomposed to CuO nanoparticles. The nanoparticles were characterised using atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction and UV-visible spectrometry. The nanoparticles were tested for antibacterial activity against Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella paratyphi and Shigella strains.

One-step green synthesis and characterization of leaf extract-mediated biocompatible silver and gold nanoparticles from Memecylon umbellatum Kantha D Arunachalam, Sathesh Kumar Annamalai, Shanmugasundaram HariCenter for Environmental Nuclear Research, Directorate of Research, SRM University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India In this experiment, green-synthesized silver and gold nanoparticles were produced rapidly by treating silver and gold ions with an extract of Memecylon umbellatum leaf. The reaction process was simple and easy to handle, and was monitored using ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. The effect of the phytochemicals present in M. umbellatum, including saponins, phenolic compounds, phytosterols, and quinones, on formation of stable silver and gold nanoparticles was investigated by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The morphology and crystalline phase of the nanoparticles were determined by transmission electron microscopy and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. The results indicate that the saponins, phytosterols, and phenolic compounds present in the plant extract play a major role in formation of silver and gold nanoparticles in their respective ions in solution. The characteristics of the nanoparticles formed suggest application of silver and gold nanoparticles as chemical sensors in the future. Given the simple and eco-friendly approach for synthesis, these nanoparticles could easily be commercialized for large-scale production.Keywords: green synthesis, phytochemicals, saponins, nanoparticles, transmission electron microscopy