Rational Design and Synthesis of Ag−Cu₂O Nanocomposites for SERS Detection, Catalysis, and Antibacterial Applications

Abstract With the growing desire to incorporate enhanced properties and multiple functions into a single nanostructured system, research on nanocomposites has intensified in recent years. Several material combinations have already been studied, giving rise to a rich library of hybrid nanomaterials. In this Minireview, attention is directed toward Ag−Cu₂O nanocomposites, which integrate the strong plasmonic features of metallic Ag and the semiconducting properties of Cu₂O. There are numerous ways by which these two materials can be arranged in a nanocomposite, leading to diverse types of hybrid configurations (e. g. core–shell, core–satellite, yolk–shell, Janus). The synthetic protocols that have been used in fabricating these different hybrid structures are amply discussed in this paper. Also described are the remarkable properties that arise from the union of Ag and Cu₂O, and how these properties can be utilized in the fields of sensing, catalysis, and antibacterial treatment. Lastly, knowledge gaps and future directions are identified in the concluding section.