Efficient photodegradation of methyl orange and bactericidal activity of Ag doped ZnO nanoparticles

In the present work, silver-doped ZnO (Ag–ZnO NPs) with different concentrations of silver ions (0.3, 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 mol %) were synthesized by using a simple co-precipitation method. The Ag–ZnO NPs were primarily characterized by XRD, FT-IR, SEM, EDS, TEM, UV–Vis. DRS, PL and BET surface area. The XRD analysis of Ag–ZnO NPs shows a wurtzite structure and optimized Ag–ZnO NPs (1.0 mol %) exhibit a lower crystallite size of 15.96 nm than that of bare ZnO (19.07 nm). Optical study shows a decrease in band gap from 3.13 to 2.97 eV as the concentration of Ag ions increases from 0.3 to 1.5 mol%. TEM images reveal the spherical shape particle with sizes ranging between 10 and 15 nm. From the multipoint BET plot, the surface area of Ag–ZnO NPs found 38.06 m²/gwhich is higher than the ZnO NPs (34.48 m²/g). The photocatalytic study demonstrated that the Ag–ZnO NPs (1.0 mol %) has an excellent photodegradation efficiency of Methyl Orange (96.74%)with a 26% increment as compared to bare ZnO (70.47%). Furthermore, the bactericidal activity of Ag–ZnO NPs (1.0 mol %) was investigated against four different bacterial strains. The results explored that the Gram-negative bacteria (E. coli and P. vulgaris) are more sensitive than Gram-positive (S. aureus and B. cereus) to Ag–ZnO NPs. Overall, the anticipated material is economical and reusable for photodegradation and antibacterial activity.     

On demand release of ionic silver from gold-silver alloy nanoparticles: fundamental antibacterial mechanisms study

Synthesis and biomedical research of bimetallic gold-silver nanoparticles (Au–Ag NPs) have gained much attention due to their unique properties. Antibacterial mechanism of gold-silver nanoparticles is a current topic of interest in nanomedicine engineering. We used three routes in the synthesis of Au–Ag NPs alloy: i) Co-reduction of [HOOC-4-C₆H₄NN]AuCl₄/AgNO₃, ii) Seeding of AuNPs-COOH/AgNO₃ and iii) immobilization of AgNPs over the parent AuNPs-COOH. Two mild reducing agents, NaBH₄ and 9-BBN (9-borabicyclo(3.3.1)nonane), were used. Colloidal alloy nanoparticles structure was confirmed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The particles reduced using NaBH₄ were larger (~20 nm) than those synthesized using 9-BBN (<10 nm). The synthesized nanoparticles showed high stability under notoriously leaching conditions of chloride-containing electrolytes. Moreover, we studied the Au–Ag NPs antibacterial activity against the growth of Gram-negative Escherichia coli ATCC strain 25922 and Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus ATCC strain 29213. The antibacterial mechanisms were evaluated by studying the time-dependent generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). A major destruction of the bacterial cell wall and leakage of cell components were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), which is clearly visible towards E. coli more than S. aureus bacterial strain. The destruction of the bacterial cell wall was further confirmed by detecting the DNA leakage using gel electrophoresis. The synergistic effect of gold enhanced the antibacterial properties, however, with low cytotoxicity to human dermal fibroblast cells. This study deals with the important aspects of time-dependent mechanisms of the antibacterial action of Au–Ag NPs since the leaching out of Ag ion is slow compared to AgNPs. The Au–Ag NPs alloy efficiently tackles microbial activity that can be controlled to minimize cytotoxicity and thus opens their future applications as antibacterial agents.     

Synthesis and antibacterial activity of Ag/CeO<Subscript>2</Subscript> hybrid architectures

Flower-like ceria (CeO₂) architectures consisting of well aligned nanosheets were first synthesized by a glycol solvothermal method. The size of CeO₂ architectures is about 5?μm in width and 10?μm in length, with the nanosheets thickness below 100?nm. Subsequently, the adsorbed Ag ions on the surface of CeO₂ were in situ reduced to form Ag nanoparticles (NPs), leading to the fabrication of Ag/CeO₂ hybrid architectures (HAs). The formed Ag NPs with sizes of 20–40?nm were uniformly loaded on the surface of the CeO₂ sheets. The antibacterial properties of Ag/CeO₂ HAs against Gram-negative E. coli and Gram-positive S. aureus were evaluated by minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), and a filter paper inhibition zone method. The results demonstrated that Ag/CeO₂ HAs displayed excellent antibacterial activity toward S. aureus and E. coli, which were attributed to the synergistic antibacterial effect between Ag NPs and CeO₂ in HAs_. Here, CeO₂ nanoflowers as a new substrate could restrict Ag NPs aggregations and improve their antibacterial activities. Therefore, the resulted Ag/CeO₂ HAs would be considered as a promising antibacterial agent.

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Colorimetric detection of iron ions (III) based on the highly sensitive plasmonic response of the N-acetyl-l-cysteine-stabilized silver nanoparticles

We report here a facile colorimetric sensor based on the N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NALC)-stabilized Ag nanoparticles (NALC–Ag NPs) for detection of Fe³⁺ ions in aqueous solution. The Ag NPs with an average diameter of 6.55 ± 1.0 nm are successfully synthesized through a simple method using sodium borohydride as reducing agent and N-acetyl-l-cysteine as protecting ligand. The synthesized silver nanoparticles show a strong surface plasmon resonance (SPR) around 400 nm and the SPR intensity decreases with the increasing of Fe³⁺ concentration in aqueous solution. Based on the linear relationship between SPR intensity and concentration of Fe³⁺ ions, the as-synthesized water-soluble silver nanoparticles can be used for the sensitive and selective detection of Fe³⁺ ions in water with a linear range from 80 nM to 80 μM and a detection limit of 80 nM. On the basis of the experimental results, a new detection mechanism of oxidation–reduction reaction between Ag NPs and Fe³⁺ ions is proposed, which is different from previously reported mechanisms. Moreover, the NALC–Ag NPs could be applied to the detection of Fe³⁺ ions in real environmental water samples.     

Green synthesis and characterization of monodispersed silver nanoparticles obtained using oak fruit bark extract and their antibacterial activity

Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) has been achieved using oak fruit bark extract as a reducing, capping and stabilizing agent. The biosynthesized Ag NPs were characterized using various techniques. UV–visible spectrum of prepared silver colloidal solution showed absorption maximum at 433 nm. X‐ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy analysis revealed that Ag NPs have a face‐centred cubic structure being spherical in shape with an average particle size of 20–25 nm. The toxicity of the Ag NPs was tested on bacterial species such as Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli by comparison based on diameter of inhibition zone in disc diffusion tests and minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum bactericidal concentration of NPs dispersed in liquid cultures. The antimicrobial activity of Ag NPs was greater towards Gram‐positive bacteria (S. aureus and B. subtilis) compared to Gram‐negative bacteria as determined using standard Kirby–Bauer disc diffusion assay and serial dilution. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Probing nanocolumnar silver nanoparticle/zinc oxide hierarchical assemblies with advanced surface plasmon resonance and their enhanced photocatalytic performance for formaldehyde removal

Recent advances in photocatalysis focus on the development of materials with hierarchical structure and on the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) phenomenon exhibited by metal nanoparticles (NPs). In this work, both are combined in a material where size‐controllable Ag‐NPs are uniformly loaded onto the hierarchical microporous and mesoporous and nanocolumnar structures of ZnO, resulting in Ag‐NP/ZnO nanocomposites. The embedded Ag‐NPs slightly decrease the hydrophobicity of fibrous ZnO, improve its wettability, and increase the absorption of formaldehyde (H₂CO) onto the photocatalyst, all of this resulting in excellent photodegradation of formaldehyde in aqueous solution. Besides, we found that Ag‐NPs with optimal size not only accelerate the charge transfer to the surface of ZnO, but also strengthen the SPR effect in the intercolumnar channels of fibrous ZnO particles combining with high concentration of photo‐generated radical species. The micro‐to‐mesoporous ZnO is like a nanoarray packed Ag‐NPs. With Ag‐NPs of diameter 2.5 < ? < 6.5 nm, ZnO exhibits the most superior photodegradation rate constant value of 0.0239 min^?1 with total formaldehyde removal of 97%. This work presents a new feasible approach involving highly sophisticated Ag‐NP/ZnO architecture combining the SPR effect and hierarchically ordered structures, which results in high photocatalytic activity for formaldehyde photodegradation.     

Facile synthesis of silver nano particles with highly efficient anti-microbial property

A simple surfactant assisted aqueous solution approach, based on the conventional Tollen’s reaction has been applied for the facile syntheses of silver nano-assembly. Nano particle morphologies strongly depend on the temperature adopted during the synthesis. Two-dimensional (2 D) nano-disks and three-dimensional (3D) nano-globules with “Cauliflower” like morphology were observed. The unique and distinctive feature of the synthesized silver nano particle in solution is its very high anti-microbial activity. This is evident in very low (4 μg/ml) inhibitory concentration (MIC) value for Escherichia coli, Vibrio cholerae, Shigella flexneri, Salmonella typhimurium and three varieties of Staphylococcus aureus. This low MIC value is comparable to that of Penicillin and in the cases of E. coli and S. aureus (ML 422), the MIC value is as low as 2 μg/ml which beats even Penicillin.     

Antibacterial behavior and physical properties of silver nanoparticle-doped ecofriendly nonwoven fabrics

A green approach for forming silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) on ecofriendly highly absorbent nonwoven fabrics was investigated. The fiber blending ratio of highly absorbent nonwoven fabrics was optimized by simulated body fluid (SBF) and water absorption. SBF and water absorption ratios reached 42 and 42.9 times after addition of 50 wt% highly absorbent fibers. The Ag NPs were characterized by UV-visible spectrometry (UV-Vis), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). UV-Vis and XRD images confirmed the presence of Ag NPs. TEM observation revealed that Ag NPs were distributed at 5–10 nm. The results of antimicrobial activity showed that Ag NP dope is effective for producing antimicrobial nonwoven fabrics against E. coli and S. aureus.     

Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Using <Emphasis Type="Italic">Commiphora caudata</Emphasis> Leaves Extract and the Study of Bactericidal Efficiency

The present study reports the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) from silver nitrate solution using leaf extracts of Commiphora caudata. The formation of Ag NPs in the colloidal solution is confirmed by UV–Vis spectroscopy analysis. The identification of biomolecules is analyzed through fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. X-ray diffraction pattern shows that an average particle size of the synthesized nanoparticles are in the range of 40–24 nm. Field emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy confirm the formation Ag NPs in spherical shape. The photoluminescence study of the synthesized Ag NPs interprets the influence of C caudata leaf concentrations on emission behavior. Zeta potential measurement is carried out to determine the stability of synthesized Ag NPs. GC–MS analysis revealed that the C. caudata contained 11 compounds, such as Stigmasterol (24.14 %), Hexacosanoic acid, methyl ester (15.13 %) and 2-bromophenyl morpholine-4-carboxylate (11.71 %). The antibacterial activity of Ag NPs shows that these bio capped Ag NPs have higher inhibitory action for Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pheumoniea, Micrococcus flavus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus pumilus, Staphylococcus aureus.     

Bionanocomposite of Au decorated MnO2 via in situ green synthesis route and antimicrobial activity evaluation

Green synthesis gaining a significant importance for the preparation of nanoparticles (NPs) and NPs-based biocomposites gained much attention in biological applications. In the current study, gold (Au) nanoparticles were prepared via green approach using cinnamon extract. The Au nanocomposite (NC) was prepared with MnO₂ nanofiber mesh structure. The NC was characterized by XRD, SEM, FT-IR, EDX, UV–visible and DLS techniques. The MnO₂ nanofibers diameter was in 10–25 nm range, which was arranged in a mesh form and Au NPs was combined with nanofibers randomly. The MnO₂-Au NC antimicrobial activity was measured against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus strains. The antimicrobial activity of MnO₂-Au NC was highly promising against tested microorganisms in comparison to control (ciprofloxacin, a standard drug). The antimicrobial activity of MnO₂-Au NC was found in following order; > S. aureus > E. coli > P. aeruginosa with the zones inhibition of 22, 18 and 15 (mn), respectively. The MIC (minimum inhibitory concentration) values were 316, 342 and 231 (µg/mL) for E. coli, P. aeruginosa and S. aureus, respectively. In view of promising antimicrobial activity, the MnO₂-Au NC prepared via green approach could have potential applications in medical field and future study can be engrossed on the biocompatibility evaluation of MnO₂-Au NC using bioassays.     

γ-Ray synthesis of starch-stabilized silver nanoparticles with antibacterial activities

Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) are fabricated through γ-irradiation reduction of silver ions in aqueous starch solutions. The UV–vis analyses show smaller sizes of Ag NPs produced, with higher yields, as the irradiation doses and/or Ag⁺ concentrations are increased. Higher concentrations of starch enhance the yields of Ag NPs, with no significant effects on their size. The most economical Ag NPs are produced at 5 kGy γ-irradiation of a 2×10⁻³ M solution of AgNO₃ containing 0.5% starch. They show a relatively narrow size distribution, indicated by TEM and its corresponding size distribution histogram. The XRD pattern confirms the face-centered cubic (fcc) Ag NPs embedded in starch molecules. Interactions between these nanoparticle surfaces and starch oxygen atoms are indicated by FT–IR. Antibacterial activities of Ag NPs against Escherichia coli appear dependent on the γ-ray doses applied.     

Synthesis,characterization and antibacterial properties of a novel nanocomposite based on polyaniline/polyvinyl alcohol/Ag

In this study, a novel nanocomposite based on polyaniline/polyvinyl alcohol/Ag (PANI/PVA/Ag) has been successfully synthesized. The chemical reduction method was used to produce Ag nanoparticle colloidal solution from Ag⁺ ions. The polymerization of aniline occurred in situ for the preparation of polyaniline (PANI) in the presence of ammonium persulfate. With exposure to Ag nanoparticles on the PANI/PVA composite, a new nanocomposite was obtained. The morphology and particle size of the novel nanocomposite was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) analyses. According to XRD analysis, the size of nanoparticles was found to be in the range of 10–17 nm. SEM images showed the favored shape of nanoparticles as triangle which is a benign shape for antibacterial analysis. The antibacterial activity of the obtained nanocomposite was also evaluated against Gram positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (Staph. aureus) and Gram negative Escherichia coli (E. coli) using the paper disk diffusion method. The antibacterial study showed that the PANI/PVA composite did not have a very good antibacterial activity but PANI/PVA/Ag nanocomposites were found to be effective against two bacteria.     

The performance evaluation of Eugenol and Linalool microencapsulated by PLA on their activities against pathogenic bacteria

The essential oils (EOs) have great potential as a natural alternative to preserve foods against spoilage and poisoning pathogens, and they are healthy and safe. Their incorporation in polymers has been of great interest in active packaging for preserving fresh food. This work aims to evaluate the effect of encapsulation of two different oils (linalool and eugenol) as antimicrobial agent activity against Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Choleraesuis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Listeria monocytogenes. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) evaluated the EOs and their capsules with polylactic acid biopolymer. It was analyzed using the agar disc-diffusion testing method to determine the inhibition zones. The active release curves were constructed to elucidate activity efficiency. The minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values on E. coli, Salmonella, S. aureus, and L. monocytogenes were 0.39%, 3.13%, 0.78%, 1.56%, and 0.39%, 12.50%, 0.39%, and 12.50%, for the eugenol and linalool, respectively. To eugenol against E. coli (60 mm) and linalool against Salmonella (32 mm) exhibited relevant inhibition zones results. The EOs released promoted the inhibition zone by the volume of the EOs released over 24 h (2.2 μL/L to eugenol and 1.5 μL/L to linalool). Moreover, UV–vis results determined the active release reporting that the capsules have a prolonged efficiency, continuing to release the active up to 40 days, indicating potential application in active food packaging, extending the shelf life of food.     

The surface modification of spherical ZnO with Ag nanoparticles: A novel agent,biogenic synthesis,catalytic and antibacterial activities

Nowadays, the industrial wastewater pollutants including toxic dyes and pathogenic microbes have caused serious environmental contaminations and human health problems. In the present study, eco-friendly and facile green synthesis of Ag modified ZnO nanoparticles (ZnO-Ag NPs) using Crataegus monogyna (C. monogyna) extract (ZnO-Ag@CME NPs) is reported. The morphology and structure of the as-biosynthesized product were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-Ray diffraction (XRD), differential reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) techniques. TEM and FESEM images confirmed the oval and spherical-like structure of the products with a size of 55–70 nm. The EDS analysis confirmed the presence of Zn, Ag, and O elements in the biosynthesized product. The photocatalytic results showed ZnO-Ag@CME NPs were degraded (89.8% and 75.3%) and (94.2% and 84.7%) of methyl orange (MO) and basic violet 10 (BV10), under UV and sunlight irradiations, respectively. The Ag modified ZnO nanoparticles exhibited enhanced catalytic activity towards organic pollutants, and showed better performance than the pure ZnO nanoparticles under UV and sunlight irradiations. This performance was probably due to the presence of silver nanoparticles as a plasmonic material. Antibacterial activity was performed against different bacteria. ZnO-Ag@CME NPs showed high antibacterial activity against K. pneumoniae, S. typhimurium, P. vulgaris, S. mitis, and S. faecalis with MIC values of 50, 12.5, 12.5, 12.5, and 12.45 µg/mL, respectively. All in all, the present investigation suggests a promising method to achieve high-efficiency antibacterial and catalytic performance.     

Bioactive polyketides from the sea fan-derived fungus Penicillium citrinum PSU-F51

Five new polyketides including two benzopyranones (1 and 2), one isochroman (3) and two anthraquinone-citrinin derivatives (4 and 5) were isolated from the sea fan-derived fungus Penicillium citrinum PSU-F51 together with thirteen known compounds. The structures were determined by spectroscopic methods. The anthraquinone-citrinin derivatives are rare natural products. Compound 4 displayed moderate antibacterial activity against both Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant S. aureus with equal MIC values of 16 μg/mL, while the known coniochaetone A displayed moderate antifungal activity against Candida albicans with MIC value of 16 μg/mL.     

Comparative evaluation of antibacterial potentials of nano cobalt oxide with standard antimicrobials

Development of suitable potent antimicrobial is the urgent need of modern era to cope up the problem of antimicrobial resistance. The applications of nanotechnology in metal oxides have shown favorable effects to some extent in this area. Thus, the present study was investigated to evaluate the antibacterial properties of cobalt oxide (Co₃O₄) nanoparticles at different concentrations and their comparison with standard antimicrobials i.e. tetracycline and gentamicin. Nanoparticles were synthesized and characterized by standard techniques. The antibacterial potentials of Co₃O₄ nanoparticles against S. aureus and E. coli were determined at various concentrations. The maximum zone of inhibitions of Co₃O₄ nanoparticles against S. aureus and E. coli at 500 μg/ml were 21.17 mm and 24.00 mm, respectively. The Co₃O₄ nanoparticles seemed more effective than gentamicin against S. aureus and E. coli. The nanoparticles with respect to tetracycline showed higher than 1 activity index at ≥ 125 μg/ml for E. coli and ≥31.25 μg/ml for S. aureus. It was also higher than 1 at all compared concentrations with respect to gentamicin against both bacteria. In conclusion, Co₃O₄ nanoparticles seemed to have potent antibacterial potential and these might be very helpful to replace the conventional antimicrobials to solve the problem of antibacterial resistance.     

TiO2 nanorods based self-supported electrode of 1T/2H MoS2 nanosheets decorated by Ag nano-particles for efficient hydrogen evolution reaction

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) has shown significant promise as an economic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalyst for hydrogen generation, but its catalytic performance is still lower than noble metal-based catalysists. Herein, a silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs)-decorated 1T/2H phase layered MoS₂ electrocatalyst grown on titanium dioxide nanorod arrays (Ag NPs/1T(2H) MoS₂/TNRs) was prepared through acid-tunable ammonium ion intercalation. Taking advantage of MoS₂ layered structure and crystal phase controllability, as-prepared Ag NPs/1T(2H) MoS₂/TNRs exhibited ultrahigh HER activity. As-proposed strategy combines facile hydrogen desorption (Ag NPs) with efficient hydrogen adsorption (1T/2H MoS₂) effectively circumventes the kinetic limitation of hydrogen desorption by 1T/2H MoS₂. The as-prepared Ag NPs/1T(2H) MoS₂/TNRs electrocatalyst exhibited excellent HER activity in 0.5 mol/L H₂SO₄ with low overpotential (118 mV vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE)) and small Tafel slope (38.61 mV/dec). The overpotential exhibts no obvious attenuation after 10 h of constant current flow. First-principles calculation demonstrates that as-prepared 1T/2H MoS₂ exhibit a large capacity to store protons. These protons can be subsequently transferred to Ag NPs, which significantly increases the hydrogen coverage on the surface of Ag NPs in HER process and thus change the rate-determining step of HER on Ag NPs from water dissociation to hydrogen recombination. This study provides a unique strategy to improve the catalytic activity and stability for MoS₂-based electrocatalyst.     

Single-stage in situ synthesis of silver nanoparticles in antibacterial self-assembled overlays

In this work, a novel single-stage process for in situ synthesis of Ag nanoparticles (NPs) using the layer-by-layer (LbL) technique is presented. The Ag NPs were formed into nanotextured coatings based on sequentially adsorbed poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) and SiO₂ NPs. Such highly porous surfaces have been used in the fabrication of highly efficient ion release films for applications such as antibacterial coatings. In this approach, the amino groups of the PAH acted as reducing agent and made possible the in situ formation of the Ag NPs. This reduction reaction occurred during the LbL process as the coating was assembled, without any further step after the fabrication and stabilization of the multilayer film. Biamminesilver nitrate was used as the Ag⁺ ion source during the LbL process and it was successfully reduced to Ag NPs. All coatings were tested with gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial cultures of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Lactobacillus delbrueckii showing an excellent antimicrobial behavior against these types of bacteria (more than 99.9% of killing efficiency in all cases).     

Synthesis and antimicrobial activity of a perfluoroalkyl-containing quaternary ammonium salt

A novel perfluoroalkyl-containing quaternary ammonium salt 5 was designed and synthesized. Consequently, the antimicrobial activities of compound 5 were measured with Escherichia coli 8099 as a Gram-negative strain and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538 as a Gram-positive strain. Both the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC, the lowest concentration of compound 5 that inhibits microbial growth) values of quaternary ammonium salt 5 against Escherichia coli 8099 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538 were 7.8 μg/ml.     

Biosynthesis,characterization, biological and photo catalytic investigations of Elsholtzia blanda and chitosan mediated copper oxide nanoparticles

Bio synthesis of nanoparticles using plant parts has gained considerable attention, given the fact that the method is green, environment friendly, cheaper, simple and involves no hazardous substances. The present study involves the green synthesis of copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) using chitosan and the aqueous leaf extract of Elsholtzia blanda, an aromatic medicinal herb. The synthesized E.blanda-chitosan mediated copper oxide nanoparticles (CPCE) and E. blanda mediated copper oxide nanoparticles (PCE) were subjected to different characterization techniques, Ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis (EDAX), High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM) and Selected Area Electron Diffraction (SAED). The absorbance peaks in UV–Vis spectroscopy at 286 nm and 278 nm for CPCE and PCE respectively indicated the formation of nanoparticles. TEM and SEM employed for studying the surface morphology showed rod-like and spherical morphology bearing average size of 47.71 nm for CPCE and 36.07 nm for PCE. The antibacterial activities of the prepared nanoparticles were tested against Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhi by agar well diffusion method. The results indicate that CuO NPs possess effective antibacterial potential against all tested bacteria with a maximum zone of inhibition of 18 mm for Enterococcus faecalis. Antioxidant studies revealed the highest DPPH scavenging activity of 89% at 25 μg/mL concentration of the nanoparticles. The percentage of the photo catalytic degradation of Congo red was found to be 95% after 10 h.