Abstract
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 CuI 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. Keywords: Cu-oxide, truncated cubic nanocrystal, nitrophenol, catalysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.
Highlights
Metal oxide nanostructures are of great interest due to their enhanced chemical, physical, optical, electromagnetic and electronic properties in contrast to bulk metal oxides.[1,2,3] These improved properties render them to be very versatile for many uses in different technological applications, including the chemical, pharmaceutical industries, water treatment, food technology, and energy
The truncated cubic Cu-oxide is enclosed by six {100} facets on the basal planes of the cube, while twelve {110} facets enclose the edges of the cube and eight {111} facets are located on the corners (see Figure 1 for a cartoon illustrating this)
The reflections are at slightly lower degrees than that found for cubic Cu2O,25 which is attributed to the structure having the truncated system
Summary
Metal oxide nanostructures are of great interest due to their enhanced chemical, physical, optical, electromagnetic and electronic properties in contrast to bulk metal oxides.[1,2,3] These improved properties render them to be very versatile for many uses in different technological applications, including the chemical-, pharmaceutical industries, water treatment, food technology, and energy. Cu-oxide, truncated cubic nanocrystal, nitrophenol, catalysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The as-prepared catalyst’s morphology and chemical composition/oxidation state on the surface was investigated by SEM, UV-vis, XRD, ATR FTIR and XPS, respectively.
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