Bimetallic Au-Cu Nanoparticles Anchored Reduced Graphene Oxide as Efficient Catalyst for Reduction of Nitro Aromatic Compounds

Abstract

In the present work an efficient nanocomposite Au-Cu/rGO has been synthesised by decorating Au-Cu bimetallic nanoparticles on reduced graphene oxide surface via co-reduction method. The nanocomposite was characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Field-emission Scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and UV-Visible spectroscopy. The FE-SEM and TEM images demonstrate the uniform distribution of the Au-Cu bimetallic nanoparticles on the GO surface and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) confirms an average particle size of 6-8 nm. The Au-Cu/rGO nanocomposite has been found to be an extremely efficient catalyst for the reduction of nitroaromatic compounds into nitroamine compounds. The Au-Cu/rGO nanocomposites exhibited synergistically more superior catalytic efficiency compared to monometallic Au nanoparticles doped reduced graphene oxide and monometallic Cu nanoparticles doped reduced graphene oxide. The reaction conditions were optimized by changing different parameters such as catalyst dose and reducing agent concentration