Phyto-mediated synthesis of CeO2/ZrO2 nanocomposite: A potential performer for multifarious biomedical applications
Date Issued
2025
Author(s)
Priyadharshini, Saravanan
Gobalakrishnan, S.
Ayyanar, M.
Jenipher, Christopher
Sindhuja, E.
Arun, Thirumurugan
Chidhambaram, Natarajan
Abstract
This study reports the synthesis of CeO<inf>2</inf>/ZrO<inf>2</inf> nanocomposite via the biogenic route utilizing Citrus limonium (lemon juice) along with the CeO<inf>2</inf> and ZrO<inf>2</inf> nanoparticles for comparative purposes. The XRD analysis confirms the effectual formation of phase-pure and good crystalline CeO<inf>2</inf>/ZrO<inf>2</inf> nanocomposite, exhibiting a mixed cubic and tetragonal structure with an average crystallite size of 66 nm. FT-IR analysis exposes the characteristic metal-oxygen bonds along with organic functional moieties. The UV-visible diffuse reflectance results show strong absorption from 200 to 420 nm for the CeO<inf>2</inf>/ZrO<inf>2</inf> nanocomposite, with a bandgap of 3.22 eV. The surface morphology of the nanocomposite reveals a foundation of irregular, block-like ZrO<inf>2</inf> structures, with affixed smaller aggregates of CeO<inf>2</inf> on the ZrO<inf>2</inf> surface with interstices between them. Furthermore, the co-occurrence of Ce3+ and Ce4+ oxidation states, along with Zr4+ and surface oxygen species, significantly boosts the nanocomposite's redox activity. Antibacterial assays demonstrated that the CeO<inf>2</inf>/ZrO<inf>2</inf> nanocomposite exhibited the highest inhibition zones in Salmonella typhi and Bacillus subtilis, surpassing individual nanoparticles. Antioxidant studies show 83% DPPH radical scavenging activity and 88% superoxide anion free radical scavenging activity. The antidiabetic activity study shows 89% inhibition of α-amylase and 86% inhibition of α-glucosidase at 950 μg/mL, which is better than the individual nanoparticles. This insightful study emphasizes the compelling potential of CeO<inf>2</inf>/ZrO<inf>2</inf> nanocomposite for advancing therapeutic strategies and significantly improving clinical outcomes across a range of medical conditions. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.


