| Summary: | Using safe and environmentally benign materials is considered one of the green chemistry approaches to avoid waste production. This research reported the biogenic synthesis of CuO nanoplates using <i>Saussurea costus</i> root extract assisted by a microwave sample preparation system. The phytochemical contents in the <i>Saussurea costus</i> root aqueous extract work as the reducing and capping agents for the nanoparticles. The biosynthesized CuO nanoplates were analyzed using UV–Vis spectroscopy, FT-IR, XRD, HR-TEM, DLS, FESEM, and EDS techniques. According to the HR-TEM and FE-SEM results, the CuO nanoparticles exhibited a plate-like shape with a mean size of 29 nm. Furthermore, the XRD results showed a typical agreement with the pattern of the monoclinic phase of copper oxide. The catalytic efficiency of the CuO nanoplates in the reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol using NaBH<sub>4</sub> was examined in terms of environmental catalytic activity. The reaction time took less than 10 min. Thus, CuO nanoplates synthesized via <i>Saussurea costus</i> root aqueous extract show high catalytic-activity potential for the environmental catalytic application of the removal of nitro pollutants.
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