Effects of gamma irradiation on phytochemically synthesized CuO nanoparticles using Mussaenda frondosa leaves and their X-ray crystallographic analysis

The physical properties of semiconductor materials under the impact of gamma radiation must be closely studied in order to develop devices that are effective for use in radiation exposure conditions. In this article, a potential candidate for optoelectronic and photonic devices, CuO nanoparticles were phytochemically synthesized using Mussaenda f. Leaves. These CuO nanoparticles were then irradiated at 25 kGy, 50 kGy and 100 kGy gamma radiation doses and the impacts were examined using XRD, FESEM, FTIR, and a UV–Vis–NIR spectrophotometer. The synthesis of pristine monoclinic CuO was confirmed by the x-ray diffraction (XRD) data with average crystallite size 46.4 nm, and following irradiation no phase change was seen. The obtained XRD results demonstrated that with rising gamma doses, crystallinity of synthesized CuO nanoparticles deteriorate from 69.2 % to 67.2 % as well as the size of the crystallites to 25.7 nm. The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra obtained before and after irradiation showed distinct evidence of monoclinic CuO, with notable differences in peak intensities and wavenumbers. The Field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) results show that gamma doses have a significant impact on grain size and layered structure micrographs. The Kubelka-Munk (K-M) function using the Ultraviolet–visible near infrared (UV–vis–NIR) spectrophotometer showed that when doses increased up to100 kGy, the optical bandgap expanded from 5.74 eV to 5.78 eV. Based to these results, it seemed CuO nanoparticles may be able to withstand high gamma radiation doses, which makes them a viable option for optoelectronic and photonic devices used in γ-ray exposure environments.