Fabrication of Chitosan-Cu2O Nanocomposite through Ethanol Assisted Reduction

The semiconducting characteristics of copper oxides have intrigued researchers like photocatalysis and sensors. Coating these nanoparticles with biocompatible polymers like chitosan enhances their properties, such as biocompatibility and non-toxicity, while reducing production costs. This work details the successful in situ production of a biocompatibile nanocomposite, with Cu2O nanoparticles dispersed in a chitosan matrix using ethanol as a reducing agent. Advanced techniques including ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) imaging combined with selected area electron diffraction (SAED) analysis, have been employed to characterize the nanocomposite material with additional relevant properties analyzed.