article · International Journal of Food Science & Technology
Copper oxide nanoparticles functionalised with an alpha-tocopherol coating demonstrate enhanced performance in laboratory tests compared to uncoated particles. Produced through a coprecipitation method, the coated particles were verified using multiple structural and chemical characterisation techniques, which confirmed the presence of the coating and preserved the crystalline structure of the copper oxide. In biological assays, the coated particles achieved high antioxidant activity, scavenging over ninety-six percent of superoxide and hydrogen peroxide radicals at eighty micrograms per millilitre. They also displayed strong anti-inflammatory properties, reaching over ninety-seven percent inhibition at ninety micrograms per millilitre. Additionally, the material accelerated the photocatalytic breakdown of the pollutant four-bromophenol under experimental conditions. These results show that the alpha-tocopherol surface modification effectively boosts the functional properties of copper oxide nanoparticles.
Oxidative stress, inflammation, and persistent organic water pollutants present major challenges in medicine and environmental management. By showing that a natural vitamin coating can simultaneously enhance the biological and catalytic properties of metal oxide nanoparticles, this research points towards cleaner, more versatile materials capable of addressing both therapeutic needs and industrial waste degradation.
The findings suggest potential future applications in biomedical formulations, such as topical anti-inflammatory or antioxidant treatments, as well as in environmental wastewater treatment systems for breaking down brominated pollutants. Potential end users include developers of therapeutic agents and environmental remediation specialists. Because the research is currently at an early laboratory stage focused on synthesis and in vitro testing, considerable further development and safety testing would be required before practical commercialisation.
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Abstract This study reports the synthesis and characterisation of α-tocopherol-coated copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO@α-tocopherol NPs) using a coprecipitation method. Characterisation techniques confirmed successful functionalisation, with Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) analysis identifying functional groups from both CuO and α-tocopherol, and X-ray diffraction data showing preserved CuO crystallinity with some amorphous content from the coating. Scanning electron microscopy revealed a larger average particle size for coated NPs (82.049 nm) compared to uncoated CuO (69.444 nm), while energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy confirmed α-tocopherol incorporation by detecting carbon in addition to copper and oxygen. Functional assays indicated that CuO@α-tocopherol NPs exhibited superior superoxide (97.28%) and hydrogen peroxide (96.57%) scavenging activity at 80 μg/ml, as well as high anti-inflammatory potential (97.18% at 90 μg/ml), outperforming uncoated CuO in each test. In the photocatalytic degradation of 4-bromophenol, CuO@α-tocopherol NPs demonstrated an improved rate constant (0.06051 min−1) over uncoated CuO (0.05863 min−1), with degradation kinetics following a pseudo-first-order model. These findings suggest that α-tocopherol coating enhances the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and photocatalytic properties of CuO NPs, making CuO@α-tocopherol NPs a promising multifunctional material for environmental and biomedical applications.
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DOI: 10.1093/ijfood/vvaf051
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