Binary Metal-Oxide Active Sites Derived from Cu-Doped MIL-88 with Enhanced Electroactivity for Nitrate Reduction

Nitrate-to-ammonia electrochemical conversion is important for decreasing water pollution and increasing the production of valuable ammonia. However, achieving high ammonium production without undesirable byproducts is difficult. Cu-doped MIL-88-derived bimetallic oxide catalysts with electrocatalytically active Fe-O-Cu bridges, which have high NO3- adsorption energy and facilitate N-intermediate hydrogenation, are developed for NH4+ production. Cu doping promotes hybridization between the O 2p of NO3- and Fe-Cu 3d, facilitating the adsorption and reduction of NO3- with a low Tafel slope (62.1 mV dec-1) and high ammonia yield (1698.8 μg·h-1·cm-2). The cathode efficiency is stable for seven cycles. Cu adjacent to Fe sites inhibits hydrogen evolution, promotes NO3- adsorption, and decreases the intermediate adsorption energy barrier. This study provides new opportunities for fabricating diverse binary metal oxides with new interfaces as efficient cathode materials for selective electroreduction.

Decorating of Ag and CuO on ZnO Nanowires by Plasma Electrolyte Oxidation Method for Enhanced Photocatalytic Efficiency

In this work, photocatalytic performance is divulged in the ternary CuO-Ag-ZnO nanowire synthesized via a two-step approach. The decoration of Ag and CuO nanostructures onto the surface of ZnO nanowires was simply carried out by using the plasma electrolytic oxidation method in a short time. The structure, size, morphology, and optical properties of as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, and spectrophotometry measurements. The diameters of Ag nanoparticles and ZnO nanoflowers are in the range of 5–20 nm and 20–60 nm, respectively. Within the first 15 min, methyl orange was decolorized 96.3 and 82.8% in the CuO-Ag-ZnO and Ag-ZnO, respectively, and there is only about 46.7% of that decomposed in pure ZnO. The CuO-Ag-ZnO shows a higher rate constant k = 0.2007 min−1 and a lower half-life time t = 6.1 min compared to Ag-ZnO and bare ZnO nanowires. The photo-reusability of the ternary nanostructures was estimated to be much outweighed compared to ZnO nanowires. Interestingly, the synergic incorporation between noble metal–semiconductor or semiconductor–semiconductor in the interfaces of Ag-CuO, Ag-ZnO, and CuO-ZnO expands the visible light absorption range and eliminates the photogenerated electron–hole recombination, resulting in a superior visible-light-driven photocatalyst.

The exploration of bio-inspired copper oxide nanoparticles: synthesis, characterization and in-vitro biological investigations

The paper describes the synthesis and characterization of copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) using the mixture of plant rhizome extracts Ocimum sanctum and Saussurea lappa as a reducing agent. The prepared CuO nanoparticles are characterized and confirmed their formation based on data obtained from powder X-ray diffraction spectroscopy, Fourier Transmission Infrared, Ultraviolet-Visible spectra, Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy images, Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis and Dynamic light scattering techniques and data reveal that the average size of CuO Nps was 103.4 nm. The result of antibacterial and antifungal activities for concentrations 50, 100, and 170 ppm indicate that NPs may exhibit appreciable activity at higher (170 ppm) concentrations. The MTT cytotoxic assay studies of Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cell lines showed a Half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) value of 4.14 ​μg/mL.

A Novel SERS Substrate Based on Discarded Oyster Shells for Rapid Detection of Organophosphorus Pesticide

Over the past few years, the concern for green chemistry and sustainable development has risen dramatically. Researchers make an effort to find solutions to difficult challenges using green chemical processes. In this study, we use oyster shells as a green chemical source to prepare calcium oxide nanoparticles (CaO-NPs). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) results showed the CaO-NPs morphology, which was spherical in shape, 40 ± 5 nm in diameter, with uniform dispersion. We further prepared silver/polydopamine/calcium-oxide (Ag/PDA/CaO) nanocomposites as the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrates and evaluated their enhancement effect using the methyl parathion pesticide. The effective SERS detection limit of this method is 0.9 nM methyl parathion, which is much lower than the safety limits set by the Collaborative International Pesticides Analytical Council for insecticide in fruits. This novel green material is an excellent SERS substrate for future applications and meets the goal of green chemistry and sustainable development.

Photoelectrochemical detection for 3,3',4,4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl in fish based on synergistic effects by Schottky junction and sensitization

In this study, a novel signal amplification strategy on photoelectrochemical (PEC) aptasensor was designed for high-sensitivity and -selectivity detection of 3,3',4,4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl (PCB77) on the basis of Schottky junction and sensitization. First, the Schottky barrier not only provided an electron-transfer irreversible passage from CuO to Au Nanoparticles (NPs) but also generated excellent local surface plasmon resonance between CuO and Au NPs, thus improving the efficiency of charge separation and light absorption. Second, to further improve the response of the PEC aptasensor under the action of the sensitization, the complementary-DNA-functionalized CdS quantum dots were introduced onto the surface of CuO/Au NPs via hybridization of the target aptamer. The PEC aptasensor exhibited a low detection limit of 17.3 pg L^-1, and a wide linear response was shown at a range of 0.2-220 ng L^-1 depending on the variation of photocurrent before and after incubation.

A facile and green synthesis of CuO/NiO nanoparticles and their removal activity of toxic nitro compounds in aqueous medium

In this present work, we report the green synthesis of mixed bimetal oxides (CuO/NiO) for the efficient reduction of toxic nitrophenols (NP, DNP and TNP) in aqueous medium. The CuO/NiO NPs were synthesized by green hydrothermal method combined calcination process. The physiochemical properties of the synthesized CuO/NiO NPs were systematically characterized by using XRD, XPS, FTIR, SEM, and HR-TEM techniques. The calcinated CuO/NiO NPs XRD pattern and SEM morphology show the high crystalline nature than the non-calcinated. Whereas, the XPS and FTIR results confirmed the formation of the metal oxide bonding and the interaction of the bimetals. The HR-TEM images showed the spherical crystals with average particle size about 25 nm. In addition, the SAED pattern confirmed the polycrystalline nature of CuO/NiO NPs. The catalytic reduction of nitro compounds to amino derivative was studied with reducing agent (NaBH₄). The CuO/NiO NPs showed the high catalytic activity and completed the reduction reaction of NP, DNP and TNP with in 2, 5 and 10 min respectively. In addition, CuO/NiO NPS exhibited the excellent kinetic rate constant k value about 1.519, 0.5102, 0.4601 min^-1 for NP, DNP and TNP respectively. Furthermore, the conversion product aminophenol was observed for these three nitro compounds. The proposed CuO/NiO NPs showed excellent crystal stability after the nitrophenol reduction reactions. An inexpensive CuO/NiO NPs is a promising catalysts for reduction of toxic nitro compounds to useful products in aqueous or non-aqueous medium.

Novel single-step synthesis and shape transformation of Au/CuO micro/nanocomposites using plasma-liquid interaction

We report a novel single-step synthesis method of metal/metal oxide composites and transformation of the shape of the oxide material by Plasma-Liquid Interaction. Considering the potential applications of noble metal nanoparticle decorated copper oxide composites, we synthesize Au/CuO micro/nanocomposites by generating plasma between two copper electrodes inside a gold precursor (HAuCl₄) solution. Simultaneous synthesis of CuO and Au nanoparticles from the electrode material and from the precursor solution respectively is possible due to the interaction of energetic electrons and other active species formed in the plasma zone. Moreover, the process does not require any external stabilizing and reducing chemical agents. The method provides a remarkable tunability of the materials' physical and chemical properties by only controlling the precursor solution concentration. By controlling process parameters, the shape of CuO particles can be transformed from spindles to sheet-like and the size of Au nanoparticles can also be varied. It influences the particles' specific surface area and total pore volume. Plasmonic property of Au nanoparticles is also observed i.e. optical tunability can be achieved. The process is found to be effective for synthesis of desired nanomaterials having various energy storage and solar light-driven photocatalytic applications.

Studies of simultaneous electrochemical sensing of Hg2+ and Cd2+ ions and catalytic reduction properties of 4-nitrophenol by CuO, Au, and CuO@Au composite nanoparticles synthesised using a graft copolymer as a bio-template

Simultaneous electrochemical detection of Hg2+ and Cd2+ ions and catalytic reduction of 4NP to 4AP using a novel synthesized graft copolymer/CuO@Au NPs composite.

Controlled Fabrication of Flower-Shaped Au-Cu Nanostructures Using a Deep Eutectic Solvent and Their Performance in Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering-Based Molecular Sensing

Controlled synthesis of anisotropic bimetallic nanostructures with tunable morphology is of great current interest for their applications in surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), plasmonics, and catalysis. Despite huge effort that has been devoted so far, fabrication of bimetallic nanostructures with controlled morphology and size remained to be a great challenge, especially when their shapes are anisotropic. Here, we report a facile, one-step synthetic approach for the fabrication of anisotropic bimetallic gold-copper nanostructures (Au-Cu NSs) of the 200-300 nm size range, using choline chloride/urea (ChCl/urea)-based deep eutectic solvent (DES) as the soft template. A concentration of the CuCl₂ precursor in the reaction mixture was found to impact the reduction kinetics of the metal ions, directly affecting the final morphology of the Au-Cu nanostructures and elemental distributions in them. The fabricated anisotropic Au-Cu NSs revealed a high SERS signal for crystal violet (CV) molecules adsorbed at their surfaces, with the signal enhancement factor as high as 0.21 × 10⁶ and capacity of detecting CV molecules of concentrations as low as 10^-10 M in their aqueous solutions. The growth mechanism of the anisotropic bimetallic nanostructures in DES and their SERS performance has been discussed. The simple DES-assisted synthesis strategy presented in this work can be adopted for large-scale nonaqueous fabrication of other bimetallic nanostructures in a quite "greener" way.

Application of CuxO-FeyOz Nanocatalysts in Ethynylation of Formaldehyde

Composite nanomaterials have been widely used in catalysis because of their attractive properties and various functions. Among them, the preparation of composite nanomaterials by redox has attracted much attention. In this work, pure Cu₂O was prepared by liquid phase reduction with Cu(NO₃)₂ as the copper source, NaOH as a precipitator, and sodium ascorbate as the reductant. With Fe(NO₃)₃ as the iron source and solid-state phase reaction between Fe³⁺ and Cu₂O, Cu_xO-Fe_yO_z nanocatalysts with different Fe/Cu ratios were prepared. The effects of the Fe/Cu ratio on the structure of Cu_xO-Fe_yO_z nanocatalysts were studied by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), ultraviolet confocal Raman (Raman), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS, XAES), and hydrogen temperature-programmed reduction (H₂-TPR). Furthermore, the structure–activity relationship between the structure of Cu_xO-Fe_yO_z nanocatalysts and the performance of formaldehyde ethynylation was discussed. The results show that Fe³⁺ deposited preferentially on the edges and corners of the Cu₂O surface, and a redox reaction between Fe³⁺ and Cu⁺ occurred, forming Cu_xO-Fe_yO_z nanoparticles containing Cu⁺, Cu²⁺, Fe²⁺, and Fe³⁺. With the increase of the Fe/Cu ratio, the content of Cu_xO-Fe_yO_z increased. When the Fe/Cu ratio reached 0.8, a core–shell structure with Cu₂O inside and a Cu_xO-Fe_yO_z coating on the outside was formed. Because of the large physical surface area and the heterogeneous structure formed by Cu_xO-Fe_yO_z, the formation of nonactive Cu metal is inhibited, and the most active species of Cu⁺ are exposed on the surface, showing the best formaldehyde ethynylation activity.

Rapid Catalytic Reduction of 4-Nitrophenol and Clock Reaction of Methylene Blue using Copper Nanowires

Copper nanowires (CuNWs) with a high aspect ratio of ~2600 have been successfully synthesized by using a facile hydrothermal method. The reductions of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) to 4-aminophenol (4-AP) and methylene blue (MB) to leucomethylene blue (LMB) by using sodium borohydride (NaBH4) were used as models to test the catalytic activity of CuNWs. We showed that by increasing the CuNWs content, the rate of reduction increased as well. The CuNWs showed an excellent catalytic performance where 99% reduction of 4-NP to 4-AP occurred in just 60 s by using only 0.1 pg of CuNWs after treatment with glacial acetic acid (GAA). The rate constant (kapp) and activity factor (K) of this study is 18 and ~1010 fold in comparison to previous study done with no GAA treatment applied, respectively. The CuNWs showed an outstanding catalytic activity for at least ten consecutive reusability tests with a consistent result in 4-NP reduction. In clock reaction of MB, approximately 99% of reduction of MB into LMB was achieved in ~5 s by using 2 μg CuNWs. Moreover, the addition of NaOH can improve the rate and degree of recolorization of LMB to MB.

Chemical clocks, oscillations, and other temporal effects in analytical chemistry: oddity or viable approach?

Most analytical methods are based on "analogue" inputs from sensors of light, electric potentials, or currents. The signals obtained by such sensors are processed using certain calibration functions to determine concentrations of the target analytes. The signal readouts are normally done after an optimised and fixed time period, during which an assay mixture is incubated. This minireview covers another-and somewhat unusual-analytical strategy, which relies on the measurement of time interval between the occurrences of two distinguishable states in the assay reaction. These states manifest themselves via abrupt changes in the properties of the assay mixture (e.g. change of colour, appearance or disappearance of luminescence, change in pH, variations in optical activity or mechanical properties). In some cases, a correlation between the time of appearance/disappearance of a given property and the analyte concentration can be also observed. An example of an assay based on time measurement is an oscillating reaction, in which the period of oscillations is linked to the concentration of the target analyte. A number of chemo-chronometric assays, relying on the existing (bio)transformations or artificially designed reactions, were disclosed in the past few years. They are very attractive from the fundamental point of view but-so far-only few of them have be validated and used to address real-world problems. Then, can chemo-chronometric assays become a practical tool for chemical analysis? Is there a need for further development of such assays? We are aiming to answer these questions.

Biological application of water-based electrochemically synthesized CuO leaf-like arrays: SERS response modulated by the positional isomerism and interface type

Cupric oxide leaf-like nanostructures (CuONSs) (average dimensions: 80-180 nm in width and 400-750 nm in length) were synthesized via anodic electrochemical dissolution of copper in an ethanol solution containing LiCl electrolyte and water. Ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis), Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR), and Raman spectroscopies as well as scanning electron microscope (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray (HD-TEM-EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) were used to explore the metal surface plasmon, size, rheology, and structure of CuONSs. Then, pyridine α-aminophosphinic acid isomers (α-, β-, and γ-NHPy) were synthesized and assembled on the CuONS/air and CuONS/aqueous solution interfaces at the pH level of solution = 7. Differences in adsorption and thus in the spectral response resulting from positional isomerism were examined by surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) with an excitation wavelength of 785 nm. The manner of interaction of the investigated isomers with CuONSs in an aqueous solution was discussed in detail and compared with that at the CuONS/air interface. For γ-NHPy, at the CuONS/water interface, the time-dependent changes in the spectral profile were observed and analyzed. For β-NHPy at the CuONS/air interface, tip-enhanced Raman scattering (TERS) measurements were performed. These measurements allowed observing single molecule behavior and avoiding interference from the molecule's surrounding environment.

Cu2+-Induced length change of Ni-based coordination polymer nanorods and research on NiO-based hybrid pseudocapacitor electrodes

Porous CuO/NiO hybrids were synthesized and they displayed a peculiar synergistic effect on the resulting performances. The length of their precursors could be altered by adjusting the amount of Cu²⁺ and changing the solvent.

Silver nanoflowers for single-particle SERS with 10 pM sensitivity

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) has received considerable attention as a noninvasive optical sensing technique with ultrahigh sensitivity. While numerous types of metallic particles have been actively investigated as SERS substrates, the development of new SERS agents with high sensitivity and their reliable characterization are still required. Here we report the preparation and characterization of flower-shaped silver (Ag) nanoparticles that exhibit high-sensitivity single-particle SERS performance. Ag nanoflowers (NFs) with bud sizes in the range 220-620 nm were synthesized by the wet synthesis method. The densely packed nanoscale petals with thicknesses in the range 9-22 nm exhibit a large number of hot spots that significantly enhance their plasmonic activity. A single Ag NF particle (530-620 nm) can detect as little as 10^-11 M 4-mercaptobenzoic acid, and thus provides a sensitivity three orders of SERS magnitude greater than that of a spherical Ag nanoparticle. The analytical enhancement factors for single Ag NF particles were found to be as high as 8.0 × 10⁹, providing unprecedented high SERS detectivity at the single particle level. Here we present an unambiguous and systematic assessment of the SERS performances of the Ag NFs and demonstrate that they provide highly sensitive sensing platforms by single SERS particle.

Caltrop particles synthesized by photochemical reaction induced by X-ray radiolysis

X-ray radiolysis of a Cu(CH₃COO)₂ solution was observed to produce caltrop-shaped particles of cupric oxide (CuO, Cu₂O), which were characterized using high-resolution scanning electron microscopy and micro-Raman spectrometry. X-ray irradiation from a synchrotron source drove the room-temperature synthesis of submicrometer- and micrometer-scale cupric oxide caltrop particles from an aqueous Cu(CH₃COO)₂ solution spiked with ethanol. The size of the caltrop particles depended on the ratio of ethanol in the stock solution and the surface of the substrate. The results indicated that there were several synthetic routes to obtain caltrop particles, each associated with electron donation. The technique of X-ray irradiation enables the rapid synthesis of caltrop cupric oxide particles compared with conventional synthetic methods.

Structure-dependent SERS activity of plasmonic nanorattles with built-in electromagnetic hotspots

We investigate the surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) activity of plasmonic nanorattles obtained through different degrees of galvanic replacement of Au@Ag nanocubes.

Hydrogenation/oxidation induced efficient reversible color switching between methylene blue and leuco-methylene blue

A novel reversible color switching system based on one-pot hydrogenation/oxygenation reactions, and with excellent cycling performance and high switching rates as an oxygen indicator.

Photoinduced oxygen prompted iron–iron oxide catalyzed clock reaction: a mimic of the blue bottle experiment

Mixed-valent iron–iron oxide nanoparticles were synthesized and fully characterized using PXRD, SEM, TEM, EDX, XPS and subsequently used for clock reaction of organic dyes.

Accelerated synthesis of MnO2 nanocomposites by acid-free hydrothermal route for catalytic soot combustion

MnO₂ nanocomposites with porous structure were successfully synthesized by a facile hydrothermal route from KMnO₄ without the addition of any acid.

Enzyme mimicking inorganic hybrid Ni@MnO2 for colorimetric detection of uric acid in serum samples

Reliable and inexpensive detection of uric acid in the absence of any peroxide or enzyme is very challenging for the development of a new cost effective clinical method.

Nickel Nanoparticle-Decorated Porous Carbons for Highly Active Catalytic Reduction of Organic Dyes and Sensitive Detection of Hg(II) Ions

High surface area carbon porous materials (CPMs) synthesized by the direct template method via self-assembly of polymerized phloroglucinol-formaldehyde resol around a triblock copolymer template were used as supports for nickel nanoparticles (Ni NPs). The Ni/CPM materials fabricated through a microwave-assisted heating procedure have been characterized by various analytical and spectroscopic techniques, such as X-ray diffraction, field emission transmission electron microscopy, vibrating sample magnetometry, gas physisorption/chemisorption, thermogravimetric analysis, and Raman, Fourier-transform infrared, and X-ray photon spectroscopies. Results obtained from ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy demonstrated that the supported Ni/CPM catalysts exhibit superior activity for catalytic reduction of organic dyes, such as methylene blue (MB) and rhodamine B (RhB). Further electrochemical measurements by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) also revealed that the Ni/CPM-modified electrodes showed excellent sensitivity (59.6 μA μM(-1) cm(-2)) and a relatively low detection limit (2.1 nM) toward the detection of Hg(II) ion. The system has also been successfully applied for the detection of mercuric ion in real sea fish samples. The Ni/CPM nanocomposite represents a robust, user-friendly, and highly effective system with prospective practical applications for catalytic reduction of organic dyes as well as trace level detection of heavy metals.

Facile fabrication of a silver dendrite-integrated chip for surface-enhanced Raman scattering

A facile approach to fabricating a surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-active chip by integrating silver dendrites with copper substrate through a one-step process was explored. The structures of dendrites were synthesized and controlled by an AgNO3/PVP aqueous system, and the fabrication parameters amount of AgNO3/PVP and reaction time were systematically investigated. The optimized silver dendrites, closely aggregated on the surface of the copper chip, exhibited high SERS activity for detecting rhodamine 6G at a concentration as low as 3.2 × 10(-11) M. Meanwhile, the prepared SERS-active chip displayed a high thermal stability and good reproducibility. Moreover, the potential application for analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons was demonstrated by detection of fluoranthene at a low concentration of 4.5 × 10(-10) M. This SERS-active chip prepared by the convenient and high-yield method would be a promising means for rapid detection under field conditions.

Hydrogen-bond-mediated in situ fabrication of AgNPs/agar/PAN electrospun nanofibers as reproducible SERS substrates

Reproducibility in surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) measurements is a challenge. This work developed a facile way to make highly dispersed uniform silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) loaded in the agar/polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofibers by the coupling the electrospinning technology from metal complex-containing polymer solution and in situ photoreductive technique. Agar, as hydrophilic component, was introduced into the electrospinning solution considering that its abundant hydroxyl group sites could greatly improve the contents of silver ions in the polymers because of the rich silver ion chelated with the hydroxyl group, whereas hydrophilic agar was integrated with hydrophobic PAN by -OH···N≡C- hydrogen bonds as a bridge. Meanwhile, the in situ photoreductive reaction was made under different light irradiations such as desk lamp, 365 nm UV-lamp, and 254 nm UV-lamp. High yield of stable AgNPs with highly uniform and dispersion are available in the agar/PAN nanofibers after the in situ photoreductive reaction, supplying the possibility of reproducible SERS signals. To identify that concept of proof, a facile approach for the determination of malachite green (MG) in three environmental practical samples was demonstrated by using the composite nanofibrous material irradiated by 365 nm UV-lamp, giving the minimum detection concentration of MG as low as 0.1 μmol/L with a good linear response ranging from 0.1-100 μmol/L (R(2) = 0.9960).

Precursor salt assisted syntheses of high-index faceted concave hexagon and nanorod-like polyoxometalates

This paper describes an effective method for a precursor salt assisted fabrication and reshaping of two different polyoxometalates [(NH4)2Cu(MoO4)2 (ACM) and Cu3(MoO4)2(OH)2 (CMOH)] into five distinctive shapes through straightforward and indirect routes. Explicit regulation of the structural arrangements of ACM and CMOH has been studied in detail with altered precursor salt concentration employing our laboratory developed modified hydrothermal (MHT) method. Morphologically different ACM 3D architectures are evolved with higher molybdate concentration, whereas 1D growth of CMOH is observed with increased copper concentration. Interesting morphological transformation of the products has been accomplished employing one precursor salt at a time without using any other foreign reagent. It has been proven that large ACMs become labile in the presence of incoming Cu(II) and NH4(+) ions of the precursor salts. A new strategy for the conversion of faceted ACMs (hexagonal plate, circular plate and hollow flower) to exclusive CMOH nanorods through a Cu(II) assisted reaction has been adopted. According to thermodynamic consideration, the synthesis of rare concave nanostructures with high index facet is still challenging due to their higher reactivity. In this study, concave hexagonal ACM with high index facet {hkl} has been successfully prepared for the first time from hexagonal ACM through simple etching with ammonium heptamolybdate (AHM), which is another precursor salt. Hexagonal ACM corrugates to a concave hexagon because of the higher reactivity of the {001} crystal plane than that of the {010} plane. It has been shown that high index facet exposed concave hexagonal ACM serves as a better catalyst for the photodegradation of dye than the other microstructures enclosed by low index facets.

Account of nitroarene reduction with size- and facet-controlled CuO-MnO2 nanocomposites

In this work, we propose a systematic and delicate size- and shape-controlled synthesis of CuO-MnO2 composite nanostructures from time-dependent redox transformation reactions between Cu2O and KMnO4. The parental size and shape of Cu2O nanostructures are retained, even after the redox transformation, but the morphology becomes porous in nature. After prolonged reaction times (>24 h), the product shapes are ruptured, and as a result, tiny spherical porous nanocomposites of ∼100 nm in size are obtained. This method is highly advantageous due to its low cost, its easy operation, and a surfactant or stabilizing agent-free approach with high reproducibility, and it provides a facile but new way to fabricate porous CuO-MnO2 nanocomposites of varied shape and size. The composite nanomaterials act as efficient recyclable catalysts for nitroarene reduction in water at room temperature. The time-dependent reduction kinetics can be easily monitored by using UV-vis spectrophotometer. The catalytic system is found to be very useful toward the reduction of nitro compounds, regardless of the type and position of the substituent(s). Furthermore, it is revealed that CuO-MnO2 composite nanomaterials exhibit facet-dependent catalytic activity toward nitroarene reduction, where the (111) facet of the composite stands to be more active than that of the (100) facet. The results are also corroborated from the BET surface area measurements. It is worthwhile to mention that porous tiny spheres (product of 48 h reaction) exhibit the highest catalytic activity due to pronounced surface area and smaller size.

Au@TiO2 double-shelled octahedral nanocages with improved catalytic properties

The gold@titanium dioxide octahedral nanocages (Au@TiO₂) with a well-defined double-shelled structure with Au as the internal shell and TiO₂ as the external shell exhibit excellent and stable activity for the catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol.