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)

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‐CuNPs. The average diameter of spherical Cu2O‐Cu NPswas determined to be 5.4 ± 0.4 nm. Furthermore, the Cu2O‐CuNPs 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.