GREEN SYNTHESIS OF CuO NPS UTILIZING EUPHORBIA MILII FOR ENHANCED CRYSTAL VIOLET DYE REMOVAL

This study reports the successful synthesis of copper oxide (CuO) nanoparticles (NPs) through a simple and sustainable green route, employing Euphorbia milii (E. milii) leaf extract as a reducing agent for the effective degradation of crystal violet (CV) dye. The as-synthesized CuO NPs were systematically characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy. A comparative analysis was performed to highlight the advantages of green synthesis by evaluating the photocatalytic performance of CuO NPs prepared via both green (CuO) and conventional chemical (CuO′) methods. XRD results confirmed the successful formation of monoclinic-phase CuO NPs, while UV–Vis analysis demonstrated their superior photocatalytic activity. Green-synthesized CuO NPs achieved 95.6% degradation of CV dye, outperforming their chemically synthesized counterparts (84.2%). The enhanced activity of the green-synthesized NPs may be attributed to their relatively lower stability and higher tendency for agglomeration, which can increase surface exposure and facilitate dye degradation. Overall, these findings establish eco-friendly CuO NPs as a promising and efficient photocatalyst for wastewater treatment applications.