Facile Synthesis of Activated Carbon Supported Cu/NiO Nanocomposite with Dual Functionalities: Photocatalysis and Antimicrobial Activity

Abstract The present study explores a co‐precipitation approach for synthesizing an AC‐Cu/NiO nanocomposite and investigates its structural, optical, and morphological properties. XRD analysis confirmed the cubic phase of NiO nanoparticles. The measured band gap energies for NiO, Cu/NiO, and AC‐Cu/NiO were 3.30, 2.97, and 2.74 eV, respectively, indicating enhanced light absorption with composite formation. FE‐SEM images of the AC‐Cu/NiO revealed asymmetrical, aggregated morphologies. Photocatalytic performance was evaluated through the degradation of Brilliant Green dye under UV light, showing degradation efficiencies of 64.34% for NiO, 69.76% for Cu/NiO, and 90.69% for AC‐Cu/NiO after 90 min, confirming the superior activity of the nanocomposite. Additionally, antibacterial tests against six bacterial strains demonstrated strong inhibitory effects of AC‐Cu/NiO, highlighting its potential for environmental and biomedical applications.