Inquest on photocatalytic and antibacterial traits of low composition Cu doped ZnO nanoparticles

[Display omitted] •Low composition Cu doped ZnO Nanorods synthesized by simple and cost-effective hydrothermal method with less reaction time.•Bandgap energy of ZnO nanorod tuned while doping with Cu atom on the crystal lattice.•Photocatalytic dye degradation efficiency of Cu doped ZnO nanorods were tested for MB dye and better performance shown by sample with less bandgap and high surface area.•Mineralization of dye degraded solution were carried out using TOC, COD analysis along with water quality tests which confirms the degradation of dye under sunlight irradiation and reusability of the solution.•Antibacterial properties of ZnO nanoparticles were enriched upon Cu doping and the enhancement is due to the combined effect of ZnO and Cu doped particles. Copper-doped Zinc Oxide nanoparticles (Zn1-xCuxO; x = 0, 0.025, and 0.05) were synthesized by viable hydrothermal method. Structural, morphological, and optical studies were done to characterize the material’s properties. The samples were tested as adsorbents to study their dye degradation potential using Methylene Blue (MB) as a model dye. The antibacterial potential of ZnO nanorods upon Cu doping was performed by disc diffusion method against both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. The results thus reveal the practical applicability of prepared samples in photodegradation and antibacterial applications.