Synthesis and in vitro antifungal efficiency of alginate-stabilized Cu₂O-Cu nanoparticles against Neoscytalidium dimidiatum causing brown spot disease on dragon fruit plants (Hylocereus undatus)

Abstract

Cu₂O-Cu nanoparticles (Cu₂O-Cu NPs) stabilized by alginate have been developed for using as a plant fungicide. The antifungal effect of Cu₂O-Cu NPs against Neoscytalidium dimidiatum fungus causing brown spot disease in dragon fruit plants was investigated. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to assess the morphology and size of Cu₂O-Cu NPs. The average diameter of spherical Cu₂O-Cu NPs was determined to be 5.4±0.4 nm. Furthermore, the Cu₂O-Cu NPS stabilized in alginate were also characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. Especially, the prepared Cu₂O-Cu NPs/alginate showed high antifungal efficiency (~100 %) against Neoscytalidium dimidiatum with 30 ppm concentration copper. The obtained results showed that Cu₂O-Cu NPs stabilized in alginate have great potential in the development of nanomaterials for plant fungicide applications.