Structural and Optical Behaviour of Silver and Iron Doped Copper Nanoparticles Prepared via Green Synthesis

Copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) are considered as promising candidates for a wide range of technological and biomedical applications due to their low cost, high electrical conductivity and excellent catalytic activity. Doping CuNPs with Ag and Fe represent an efficient way to tailor their intrinsic properties through modification in crystallinity, surface plasmon resonance (SPR), and electronic band structure that may lead to a possible application such as sensors, photonic devices, anti-microbial treatments. The objective of this study is to add an understanding about the way in which Ag and Fe doping affect structural and optical characteristics of Cu nanoparticles prepared by environmentally friendly green routes. It is necessary to systematically explore the inherent properties of these nanoparticles in depth, which will ultimately facilitate their utilization prospects on optoelectronics, catalysis and biomedicine fields due to controllable physicochemical properties. The successful green synthesis of undoped, Ag-doped and Fe-doped copper nanoparticles using Moringa oleifera leaf extract provides an environmentally benign production route for composition-tailored nanomaterials. Visual colour changes and detailed characterizations validated the reduction of metal ions, and the doping into copper nanoparticles was demonstrated to be effective. UV-Vis spectroscopy showed that there were SPR peaks at 585 nm (non-doped), 565 nm (Ag-doped), and 605 nm (Fe-doped) along with band gap tuning from 2.12 eV to 1.95–2.08 eV. XRD examination confirmed the FCC crystal phase and showed a lattice expansion due to doping and reduction of the crystallite size (28→24–26 nm). SEM-EDX analysis revealed quasi-spherical shape morphology (25–45 nm) and confirmed Ag presence (8 at. %) and Fe presence (7 at. %) within the synthesized nanoparticles. FTIR spectra confirmed phytochemical capping via O-H, C=O, and shifted M-O vibrations which are crucial for colloidal stability required in practical applications. The resulting structure–property relationships demonstrate how plasmonic efficiency is increased in terms of Ag size and blue-shifted SPR, while lattice strain induced by Fe doping is favorable for catalytic activity. These green-fabricated doped CuNPs show rationally designed optical and structural properties which can be used in plasmonic sensors, photocatalysis, and biomedical platforms, thus connecting environment-friendly fabrication with next-generation materials engineering.

K. Subashini, J. Pandiarajan, B. Lawrence & N. Jeyakumaran (2026)

Structural and Optical Behaviour of Silver and Iron Doped Copper Nanoparticles Prepared via Green Synthesis

International Journal of Current Science Research (IJCSR)

e-ISSN: 2454-5422

12(5): 2026: 1–15

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