Two Physics Department Lecturers Publish a Global Study.
Two lecturers (Lect. Ali Fadel Muhammad and Asst. Lect. Hawra Hamza Obaid) from the Physics Department published a study titled “Green Synthesis of Copper and Silver Nanostructured Particles from Eremurus Plant Extract and Comparison of Their Optical Properties and Antibacterial Activities” in the journal “Kerbala International Journal of Modern Science” (Scopus Q1).
The study aimed to prepare silver (Ag) and copper (Cu) nanoparticles in an environmentally friendly manner using Eremurus plant extract as a reducing agent and stabilizer.
These particles were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Field-Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDXS), and UV-Visible Spectroscopy.
The research included biological tests, and the nanoparticles demonstrated high antibacterial activity. Silver particles achieved an efficacy exceeding 99.999% against Staphylococcus aureus and more than 99.99999% against Escherichia coli, while copper particles showed similar results at a lower concentration of 0.3 mg/mL.
The study found that the silver particles had a spherical shape with an average size of 18.3 nm, while the copper particles had a cubic shape with an average size of 65.7 nm. They also exhibited distinctive optical properties at wavelengths of 205 nm (Ag) and 230 nm (Cu). These results confirm the promising potential of silver and copper nanoparticles in biomedical, environmental, and antimicrobial coating applications.
