Truncated Edge Cuprous Oxide Cube Architecture for Reduction of Nitrophenols

Abstract

Truncated cubic Cu-oxide nanocrystals with edge lengths of ca. 600 nm were prepared employing the low-cost copper (II) chloride as the precursor. XRD  revealed that the truncated cubic Cu-oxide nanocrystals are present in both the Cu^I and Cu⁰ state. XPS characterisation gives insight into the amount of  each state present in the as-prepared, oxidised, reduced and recovered catalyst species. The catalytic activity of the truncated cubic Cu-oxide nanocrystals  was tested for the reduction of nitrophenols using NaBH₄ . After one catalytic cycle of the reduction of 4-nitrophenol, the activity almost  halved. The SEM images revealed that the recovered catalyst showed some disfigurement of the structure, and XPS confirmed the reduction of the CuI to  metallic Cu⁰.