Zero-valent Copper Research Articles

A comparison study of applying natural iron minerals and zero-valent metals as Fenton-like catalysts for the removal of imidacloprid.

Natural iron minerals and zero-valent metals have been widely tested as catalysts for the Fenton-like process, but the systematical comparison study about their catalytic performance was rarely conducted, and the risk of the secondary pollution of toxic heavy metals was still not uncertain. In this paper, a comparison study of applying pyrite, ilmenite, vanadium titano-magnetite (VTM), zero-valent iron (ZVI), and zero-valent copper (ZVC) as Fenton-like catalysts for the removal of imidacloprid was performed. The results showed that ZVI exhibited the highest activity among the recyclable solid catalysts with a removal rate of 96.8% at initial pH 3 using 10.78 mmol/L H2O2, due to iron corrosive dissolution. Vanadium titano-magnetite (VTM) exhibited the best activity at first use among tested minerals but with low reusability. Pyrite with stable morphology showed a medium but sustainable ability to degrade imidacloprid, achieving a removal rate of 10.5% in the fifth use. The reaction much favored the acidic condition of initial pH around 2 or 3. Meanwhile, there was a significant positive correlation between removal efficiency and dissolved Fe or Cu concentration. Pyrite was considered to be a promising catalyst in Fenton-like reaction. It was suggested that the system proceeded predominantly through a homogeneous route via dissolved Fe or Cu ions. Except ZVC and VTM, other tested catalysts showed the low possibility of causing secondary pollution of toxic metals in the application of Fenton-like process.

Ascorbic acid enhanced ciprofloxacin degradation with nanoscale zero-valent copper activated molecular oxygen

The remediation of water polluted by fluroquinolones antibiotics remains an important issue. Although zero-valent copper (ZVC) coupled with molecular oxygen can destruct refractory organic pollutants, the activation efficiency still needs to be further improved. In this study, the introduction of ascorbic acid (AA) in ZVC/air process maintained a high-concentration of Cu(Ⅰ), which can efficiently activate molecular oxygen to generate reactive oxygen species (ROSs). Superoxide radicals and hydroxyl radicals coexisted in nZVC/AA/air system. The former contributed to the yield of H2O2 and also acted as a mediator for Cu(Ⅱ)/Cu(Ⅰ) redox cycles, the latter was the pivotal ROSs for ciprofloxacin (CIP) destruction. The CIP degradation decelerated through the addition of excessive nZVC and AA, and the optimum dosages of nZVC and AA were determined to be 0.2 g/L and 1 mM, respectively. The developed nZVC/AA/air process could efficiently operate in a relative broad pH range of 3.0–7.0, which was due to the fact that AA prevented the precipitation of copper ions in solution via forming stable chelates. The coexistence of Cl− severely retarded the CIP removal. According to the results of UPLC-MS/MS analysis and density functional theory calculations, the plausible degradation pathways including the decarboxylation, defluorination, hydroxylation and cleavage of C–C bond in piperazine ring were proposed.

A novel electrocatalytic filtration system with carbon nanotube supported nanoscale zerovalent copper toward ultrafast oxidation of organic pollutants

In this study, we designed an integrated electrochemical filtration system for catalytic activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS) and degradation of aqueous microcontaminants. Composites of carbon nanotube (CNT) and nanoscale zero valence copper (nZVC) were developed to serve as high-performance catalysts, electrode and filtration media simultaneously. We observed both radical and nonradical reaction pathways, which collectively contributed to the degradation of model pollutants. Congo red was completely removed via a single-pass through the nZVCCNT filter (τ <2 s) at neutral pH. The rapid kinetics of Congo red degradation were maintained across a wide pH range (from 3.0–7.0), in complicated matrixes (e.g., tap water and lake water), and for the degradation of a wide array of persistent organic contaminants. The superior activity of nZVCCNT stems from the boosted redox cycles of Cu2+/Cu+ in the presence of an external electric field. The flow-through design remarkably outperformed the conventional batch system due to the convection-enhanced mass transport. Mechanism studies suggested that the carbonyl group and electrophilic oxygen of CNT served as electron donor and electron acceptor, respectively, to activate PMS to generate •OH and 1O2via one-electron transport. The electron-deficient Cu atoms are prone to react with PMS via surface hydroxyl group to produce reactive intermediates (Cu2+-O-O-SO3−), and then 1O2 will be generated by breaking the coordination bond of the metastable intermediate. The study will provide a green strategy for the remediation of organic pollution by a highly efficient and integrated system based on catalytic oxidation, electrochemistry, and nano-filtration techniques.

Catalytic Removal of Selected Textile Dyes Using Zero-Valent Copper Nanoparticles Loaded on Filter Paper-Chitosan-Titanium Oxide Heterogeneous Support

A facile and highly porous heterogeneous matrix was designed as a support for zero-valent Cu nanoparticles. This heterogeneous support is composed of filter paper, chitosan, and titanium dioxide, and on this support matrix, a metallic Cu2+ nanoparticle was loaded. The metallic Cu2+ nanoparticle was then reduced to Cu0 in NaBH4 solution. The prepared catalyst (Cu/CHTiO2/FP) was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (XPS) and the results indicated that the synthesis of zero-valent Cu nanoparticles on the heterogenous support by this method was successful. The prepared Cu/CHTiO2/FP catalytic activity was investigated to remove four different textile dyes: Rhodamine B, Bromocresol Green, Methyl Orange, and Eriochrome Black T in the presence of NaBH4. The results show that the catalyst is efficient and can be adapted to remove the different classes of dyes studied. Aside from the catalyst's efficiency, it could be quickly recovered by simply pulling out from the reaction medium, washed, and reused. The reusability of the catalyst recorded over 90% removal after five cycles.

Development of copper—iron bimetallic nanoparticle impregnated activated carbon derived from coconut husk and its efficacy as a novel adsorbent toward the removal of chromium (VI) from aqueous solution

AbstractThe present work demonstrates the preparation of biodegradable coconut husk derived activated carbon (CAC) impregnated with bimetallic nanoparticles consisting of zerovalent iron and copper to produce a new adsorbent (Fe0/Cu‐CAC). The new adsorbent was further employed to determine the removal efficiency of Chromium (VI) from aqueous solutions. Chromium (VI) adsorption process by Fe0/Cu‐CAC was found to be favorable at pH ~ 3, attaining 95.28% removal efficiency while its counterpart CAC attained only ~41%. Negative ΔG0 value suggests that the process was thermodynamically spontaneous and ΔH0 was observed to be 8.496 kJ/mol, further corroborating the endothermic nature of the process. Pseudo‐second order model was best suited to explain the kinetics of the process with R2 value of 0.99683 and an error of 6.73%. Equilibrium parameter (RL) derived from Langmuir isotherm was calculated to be 0.1103, indicating favorable adsorption and thus Langmuir isotherm can be used to describe the process of adsorption of Cr (VI) by Fe0/Cu‐CAC. Finally, a maximum monolayer adsorption capacity of 173.9 mg/g indicated the suitability of the prepared adsorbent in treating chromium contaminated wastewater streams.Practitioner points Facile development of novel adsorbent from biodegradable coconut husk via cost effective route. Utilization of the adsorbent towards removal of toxic pollutant like Cr (VI) from its aqueous solution. Validation of the effective adsorption mechanism by Kinetic and Thermodynamic study.

Substitution of copper atoms into defect-rich molybdenum sulfides and their electrocatalytic activity.

Studies on intercalation or substitution of atoms into layered two-dimensional (2D) materials are rapidly expanding and gaining significant consideration due to their importance in electronics, catalysts, batteries, sensors, etc. In this manuscript, we report a straightforward method to create sulphur (S) deficient molybdenum (Mo) sulfide (MoS2−x) structures and substitute them with zerovalent copper (Cu) atoms using a colloidal synthesis method. The synthesized materials were studied using several techniques to understand the proportion and position of copper atoms and the effect of copper functionalization. Specifically, the impact of change in the ratio of Cu : S and the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity of the derived materials were evaluated. This technique paves the way for the synthesis of various functionalized 2D materials with a significant impact on their physical and chemical behavior making them potential candidates for catalysis and several other applications such as energy storage and the development of numerous functional devices.

Structural, Morphological, and Spectral Characteristics of Hybrid Bioactive Copper-, Selenium-, and Silver-Containing Nanosystems Based on Poly-4-Acryloylmorpholine

We use atomic-force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, ultraviolet (UV)/visible spectroscopy, and dynamic light scattering to perform a comparative study of new hybrid bioactive nanosystems based on nanoparticles of various natures: zero-valent copper (Cu0), zero-valent selenium (Se0), and zero-valent silver (Ag0) stabilized with a water-soluble homopolymer poly-4-acryloylmorpholine (PAM). We demonstrate the possibility of regulating the structural and morphological parameters and the dimensional and spectral characteristics of bioactive nanosystems by varying the nature of nanoparticles. The reduction of ions of biogenic elements in water in the presence of poly-4-acryloylmorpholine, due to sufficiently good screening, yields spherical nanostructures with a diameter not exceeding 180 nm (PAM/Se0). The most probable sizes of nanoparticles do not exceed 12 nm.

Octahedron of Zero-Valent and Mono-Valent Copper Anchored on Nitrogen Doping Porous Carbon to Enhance Heterogeneous Electro-Fenton Like Activity

Octahedron of Zero-Valent and Mono-Valent Copper Anchored on Nitrogen Doping Porous Carbon to Enhance Heterogeneous Electro-Fenton Like Activity

Thermocatalytic persulfate activation for metronidazole removal in the continuous operation

In the present study, thermocatalytic persulfate (PS) activation using zero-valent copper was studied under different conditions to investigate the degradation of metronidazole (MTZ) antibiotic from aqueous media in the continuous system. The results showed that the degradation of MTZ was not affected significantly by the pH of the solution in the thermal activation however, alkaline media promoted the rate of MTZ removal in the thermocatalytic oxidation. Based on the Arrhenius behavior, the activation energy of MTZ oxidation was calculated about 52.32 kJ mol−1 from batch tests. At the fixed concentration of MTZ, it had a direct relationship between MTZ degradation and initial PS concentration as well as temperature. Under the optimal conditions, more than 95% of MTZ was degraded in the steady-state condition. The scavenging study using methanol and t-butanol revealed that both sulfate and hydroxyl radicals were mainly responsible for MTZ degradation. Moreover, low concentration copper leaching was observed in the continuous operation. Based on these results, it seems that thermocatalytic activation of PS was a promising technology which is capable to degrade resistant pollutants.

Size-Controlled Transformation of Cu2O into Zero Valent Copper within the Matrix of Anion Exchangers via Green Chemical Reduction.

Composite materials containing zero valent copper (ZVC) dispersed in the matrix of two commercially available strongly basic anion exchangers with a macroreticular (Amberlite IRA 900Cl) and gel-like (Amberlite IRA 402OH) structure were obtained. Cu0 particles appeared in the resin phase as the product of the reduction of the precursor, i.e., copper oxide(I) particles previously deposited in the two supporting materials. As a result of a one-step transformation of preformed Cu2O particles as templates conducted using green reductant ascorbic acid and under mild conditions, macroporous and gel-type hybrid products containing ZVC were obtained with a total copper content of 7.7 and 5.3 wt%, respectively. X-ray diffraction and FTIR spectroscopy confirmed the successful transformation of the starting oxide particles into a metallic deposit. A scanning electron microscopy study showed that the morphology of the deposit is mainly influenced by the type of matrix exchanger. In turn, the drying steps were crucial to its porosity and mechanical resistance. Because both the shape and size of copper particles and the internal structure of the supporting solid materials can have a decisive impact on the potential applications of the obtained materials, the results presented here reveal a great possibility for the design and synthesis of functional nanocrystalline solids.

Removal of toxic arsenic (As(Ⅲ)) from industrial wastewater by ultrasonic enhanced zero-valent lead combined with CuSO4

Arsenic was one of toxic element in industrial wastewater. Removal of arsenic has always been a hot research topic in academia. Herein, arsenic (As(Ⅲ)) in industrial wastewater was removed by ultrasonic enhanced zero-valent lead combined with copper sulfate (CuSO4). Secondary pollution would not be caused by the addition of zero-valent lead and copper sulfate. Parameters, such as Pb/As molar ratio, the amount of CuSO4 added, reaction temperature, ultrasonic power and reaction time were investigated in this study. It was concluded that the removal of arsenic could be described by an unreacted shrinking nuclear model with activation energy 1.857 kJ/mol. The process of ultrasonic enhanced zero-valent lead combined with CuSO4 to remove arsenic was a diffusion controlled process. The precipitation after arsenic removal was characterized by XRD, SEM-EDS, XRF, and XPS to analyze the precipitated phases, topography, element content and different valence state of element. Based on the above analysis, the thermodynamic data and changes in ion concentration, the mechanism of efficient removal of arsenic (As(Ⅲ)) from industrial wastewater by ultrasonic enhanced zero-valent lead combined with CuSO4 was revealed.

Vis-Responsive Copper-Modified Titania for Decomposition of Organic Compounds and Microorganisms

Seven commercial titania (titanium(IV) oxide; TiO2) powders with different structural properties and crystalline compositions (anatase/rutile) were modified with copper by two variants of a photodeposition method, i.e., methanol dehydrogenation and water oxidation. The samples were characterized by diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Although zero-valent copper was deposited on the surface of titania, oxidized forms of copper, post-formed in ambient conditions, were also detected in dried samples. All samples could absorb visible light (vis), due to localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of zero-valent copper and by other copper species, including Cu2O, CuO and CuxO (x:1-2). The photocatalytic activities of samples were investigated under both ultraviolet (UV) and visible light irradiation (&gt;450 nm) for oxidative decomposition of acetic acid. It was found that titania modification with copper significantly enhanced the photocatalytic activity, especially for anatase samples. The prolonged irradiation (from 1 to 5 h) during samples’ preparation resulted in aggregation of copper deposits, thus being detrimental for vis activity. It is proposed that oxidized forms of copper are more active under vis irradiation than plasmonic one. Antimicrobial properties against bacteria (Escherichia coli) and fungi (Aspergillus niger) under vis irradiation and in the dark confirmed that Cu/TiO2 exhibits a high antibacterial effect, mainly due to the intrinsic activity of copper species.

Behavior of surface coated zirconium silicate-nanopolyaniline with nano zerovalent copper (ZrSiO4@NPANI@nZVCu) toward catalytic reduction of nitroanilines

Nitroanilines (NAs) are listed as hazard contaminants in water and aquatic life according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) due to their toxicity and explosive nature. Therefore, removal of these pollutants from water or conversion of their structures to less toxic and less explosive are generally aimed by different approaches and techniques. The most important strategy to accomplish this target is related to the catalytic reduction of nitro into amino functional group. Therefore, a new nanocatalyst was designed and assembled in this work by microwave surface coating of zirconium silicate-nanopolyaniline with nano zerovalent copper to produce ZrSiO4@NPANI@nZVCu nanocatalyst. The assembled nanocatalyst was characterized and confirmed by different instrumentations and surface techniques including FT-IR, TGA, TEM, XRD and surface area determination. Three nitro derivatives, viz 2-nitroaniline (2NA), 3-nitroaniline (3NA) and 4-nitroaniline (4NA) were selected to investigate and evaluate their reduction behaviors into amino derivatives by the reductive action of ZrSiO4@NPANI@nZVCu nanocatalyst. The collected results from this study confirmed that nZVCu was the active center in ZrSiO4@NPANI@nZVCu nanocatalyst and responsible for the electron transfer process between NaBH4 to nitroanilines. Catalytic reactions of nitroanilines (NAs) were established with rate constant k = 0.188, 0.246 and 0.114 min−1 for 2NA, 3NA and 4NA, respectively at 298K in presence of excess concentration of NaBH4 to achieve pseudo-first order conditions. In addition, the effect of reaction temperature on the catalytic reduction of NAs by ZrSiO4@NPANI@nZVCu nanocatalyst was also investigated to calculate the thermodynamic parameters and set up the isokinetic relationship and mechanism. Other important experimental controlling parameter on the catalytic reduction processes of NAs by ZrSiO4@NNPANI@nZVCu nanocatalyst such as pH of reaction was also studied and evaluated in this work.

Green synthesis of copper nanoparticles using Cocoa pod extract and its catalytic activity in deep oxidation of aromatic hydrocarbons

An effective and green technique was performed for the synthesis of copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) from an organic resource using the Cocoa pod (CCP) extract as a reducing agent. The formation of CuNPs was confirmed by ultraviolet–visible absorption spectroscopy (UV–Vis) at the wavelength range of 500–600 nm. The optimized conditions for the synthesis of CuNPs using CCP extract as a reducing agent were determined by the volume ratio of Cu(NO3)2 solution/CCP extract of 3.5/1.5, stirring rate of 300 rpm, pH solution of 7.5, the temperature of 75 °C and the synthesis duration within 180 min. At these conditions, the X-ray diffraction result revealed a face-centered cubic structure of zero-valent copper with a highly crystalline and an average size of 34.4 nm. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy result confirmed the presence of flavonoids, polyphenolic, and alkaloids components in CCP extract which can act as the reducing and stabilizing agents for CuNPs formation. At the optimized synthetic conditions, CuNPs loaded on various supports (Al2O3, CeO2, and TiO2) were prepared following the same protocol and then applied for catalytic deep oxidation of aromatic hydrocarbons (AHs). Among them, CeO2 was the best support in AHs deep oxidation, and the sample of 7.5Cu–Ce (7.5 wt% of CuNPs supported on CeO2) was the most efficient. Compared with 5Cu–Ce and 10Cu–Ce, the 7.5Cu–Ce sample exhibited a higher benzene conversion at a low temperature (275–325 °C) and reached the full conversions of benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX) to carbon dioxide and water vapor below 450 °C. Furthermore, the 7.5Cu–Ce sample showed great stability for such reactions at 300 °C as proven by the unchanged conversions of BTEX during 48 h.

A cost-effective strategy for metal recovery from waste printed circuit boards via crushing pretreatment combined with pyrolysis: Effects of particle size and pyrolysis temperature

The dramatic increase in global generation of e-wastes has become a great challenge for sustainable development, and strategies for efficient and environmental-friendly recycling and disposal of e-waste are of great demand. A cost-effective strategy of crushing pretreatment combined with pyrolysis to recover metals from waste printed circuit boards (WPCBs) has been developed. Effects of particle size and pyrolysis temperature on metal recovery were explored. The optimal combination of less energy consumption and higher metal recovery was obtained when the pretreated particle size was 4.0 cm and pyrolysis temperature was 330 °C. The Cu and Sn were recovered as zero-valent copper and tin-copper alloy with the recovery efficiency of 92.38 and 99.80 wt%, respectively. Brominated pollutants are easily controlled when pretreated particle size is larger than 2.0 cm and pyrolysis temperature is below 400 °C. Under the optimal crushing pretreatment and pyrolysis conditions, the bromine contents in the pyrolysis products of solid residues, liquid tar, and gas were 45.45 wt%, 38.70 wt%, and 15.85 wt%, respectively. The structure of WPCBs was destroyed at 275–525 °C due to decomposition of brominated epoxy resins (BERs), which could be accurately characterized by 8 dominating reactions through pyrolysis kinetics analysis. The main reactions took place at conversion of 0.14 and 0.15, corresponding to a pyrolysis temperature of 306–342 °C. Thus, the interlayer bonding force of WPCBs significantly decreased, contributing to effective separation of metals in WPCBs.

Degradation of hydroxypropyl guar gum at wide pH range by a heterogeneous Fenton-like process using bentonite-supported Cu(0).

To seek for efficient Fenton-like oxidation processing for treatment of waste fracturing fluid containing hydroxypropyl guar gum (HPGG), in heterogeneous reaction, five bentonite-supported zero-valent metal catalysts were prepared by liquid-phase reduction. The results showed that the bentonite-supported zero-valent copper exhibited best catalytic performance, attributed to the high dispersion of active sites of zero-valent copper. The effects of the most relevant operating factors (H2O2 concentration, catalyst dosage, temperature and pH) were evaluated in detail. Moreover, the chemical oxygen demand removal rate of HPGG can achieve 76% when the reaction time was selected at 45 min under optimal experimental conditions. The stability evaluation showed that the catalytic performance was almost unaffected after the catalyst was recycled and used once more showing the good stability of the bentonite-supported zero-valent copper in the application process.

In Situ Dynamics during Heating of Copper-Intercalated Bismuth Telluride

Summary The presence of a van der Waals gap within layered materials enables the intercalation of guest species, which can be used for tuning properties. The introduction of intercalant species may also lead to structural transformations across a range of temperatures and use conditions, but we have a limited understanding of the high-temperature evolution of intercalated layered materials. Here, we use in situ transmission electron microscopy to investigate temperature-dependent structural evolution of Bi2Te3, a layered material with well-known application as a thermoelectric, which contains intercalated Cu. As temperature is increased, the initially disordered Cu undergoes local ordering within the van der Waals gap, along with anisotropic sublimation behavior of the crystals. As the temperature is raised further, layered Cu2Te crystals nucleate and grow with a crystallographic relationship to the Bi2Te3 lattice. Notably, the presence of Cu decreases the thermal stability of the Bi2Te3 and substantially alters the transformation pathways during heating.

Enhanced peroxydisulfate oxidation via Cu(III) species with a Cu-MOF-derived Cu nanoparticle and 3D graphene network

The contribution of Cu(III) produced during heterogeneous peroxydisulfate (PDS) activation to pollutant removal is largely unknown. Herein, a composite catalyst is prepared with Cu-based metal organic framework (Cu-MOF) derived Cu nanoparticles decorated in a three-dimensional reduced graphene oxide (3D RGO) network. The 3D RGO network overcomes the aggregation of nanosized zero-valent copper and reduces the copper consumption during the PDS activation reaction. The Cu/RGO catalyst exhibits high catalytic activity for 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) degradation in a wide pH range of 3–9, with a low Cu dosage that is only 0.075 times that of previous reports with zero-valent copper. Moreover, a high mineralization ratio (69.2 %) of 2,4-DCP is achieved within 30 min, and the Cu/RGO catalyst shows high reactivity toward aromatic compounds with hydroxyl and chlorinated groups. Unlike normal sulfate radical-based advanced oxidation, alcohols show negligible impacts on the reaction, suggesting that Cu(III), rather than SO4− and OH, dominates the degradation process. We believe that PDS activation by 3D Cu/RGO, with Cu(III) as the main active species, provides new insights in selective organic pollutant removal in wastewater treatment.

Supercritical Hydrothermal Synthesis of Polyacrylic Acid-Capped Copper Nanoparticles and Their Feasibility as Conductive Nanoinks

Polyacrylic acid (PAA) applied as surface modifier of zero-valent copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) for electronic printing inks has great potential to replace presently used polymers, because of its favorable technical, environmental and biodegradability characteristics. Continuous synthesis (400°C, 30 MPa) of nanoparticles in supercritical water with short reaction times (1.1 s) was used to form PAA-surface-modified zero-valent (34–46 nm) CuNPs. CuNP particle sizes decreased with an increase in PAA molecular mass (5000, 250,000) and were stable as dispersions in methanol and 1-propanol, respectively. The resistivity of conductive films prepared with CuNPs decreased with an increase in heating temperature. The minimum resistivity of the PAA-modified CuNPs was 1.4 × 10−5 Ω cm at 320°C (PAA25000) and 4.2 × 10−4 Ω cm at 350°C (PAA5000), demonstrating the feasibility of PAA as a dispersant and surface modifier for CuNPs. Polyacrylic acid is thus effective as a surface modifier for zero-valent metal nanoparticles and expands the possible applications in sustainable printed electronics.

Synthesis, Morphology, and Spectral Characteristics of Copper, Silver, and Selenium-Containing Hybrid Nanosystems Based on 2-Deoxy-2-metacrylamido-D-glucose Copolymer with 2-Dimethylaminoethyl Methacrylate

Hybrid nanosystems based on nanoparticles of zero-valent copper (Cu0), zero-valent silver (Ag0), and zero-valent selenium (Se0) are synthesized. The nanoparticles are stabilized by a water-soluble random copolymer of 2-deoxy-2-methacrylamido-D-glucose with 2-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate. A comparative study is made using UV–Vis spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. The effect the nature of the nanoparticles has on the morphological and spectral characteristics of the formed nanosystems is shown. It is found that due to good screening, the reduction of nutrient ions in water in the presence of the indicated copolymer allows spherical nanostructures with diameters of 80 to 250 nm to be obtained.