A reusable catalyst based on CuO hexapods and a CuO-Ag composite for the highly efficient reduction of nitrophenols.

ABSTRACT: The enormous and urgent need to explore cost-effective catalysts with high efficiency has always been at the forefront of environmental protection and remediation research. This work develops a novel strategy for the fabrication of reusable CuO-based non-noble metal nanomaterials as high-efficiency catalysts. We report a facile and eco-friendly synthesis of CuO hexapods and CuO-Ag composite using uric acid as a reductant and protectant. Both exhibited high catalytic activity in the hydrogenation of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) to 4-aminophenol (4-AP) by sodium borohydride (NaBH₄), with the CuO-Ag composite showing superior catalytic performance. Notably, the highest turnover frequency of CuO-Ag reached 7.97 × 10^-2 s^-1, which was much higher than numerous noble-metal nanomaterials. In addition, CuO hexapods and CuO-Ag composite were also shown to act as highly efficient and recyclable catalysts in the degeneration of 4-NP. Both CuO hexapods and the CuO-Ag composite exhibited outstanding catalytic durability, with no significant loss of activity over more than 10 cycles in the hydrogenation of 4-NP.

SUBMITTER: Zhang N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8697534 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature