SYNTHESIS, CHARACTERIZATION AND ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITY OF METAL DOPPED CuO-MCM-41 NANOCOMPOSITES

Abstract

Nanomaterials made from metal oxides such as CuO, Fe₂O₃, and ZnO demonstrate a wide range of pharmacological characteristics, including antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, wound healing, and anti-diabetic properties. In particular, Copper Oxide nanomaterials have become increasingly important due to their growing applications in diverse areas such as heterogeneous catalysis, antimicrobial agents, antioxidants, imaging agents, cancer therapy, and drug delivery systems. The CuO-MCM-41 nanomaterials were synthesized through a hydrothermal method. The combination of the produced nanomaterials was achieved using a solution dispersion technique. Specifically, 0.5 g of the synthesized nanomaterials was dissolved in 50 ml of water and sonicated for 10 minutes. EDX analysis confirmed the presence of oxygen, copper, and silicon in the created nanocomposites. SEM images of the produced copper oxide nanocomposites showed irregular shapes with some aggregation, particularly at higher concentrations of MCM-41. The antifungal effectiveness was evaluated using the disc diffusion approach, revealing inhibition zones of 21 mm against Aspergillus niger and 22 mm against Candida albicans, thus confirming the strong antifungal properties of the synthesized nanocomposites.