Synthesis of Copper Nanoparticle on Functionalized Graphen Oxide Support: An Efficient Catalyst for Coupling Reacction

Graphene oxide (GO), a novel and promising two-dimensional (2D) carbon nanomaterial, has attracted extensive attention in catalysis fields, such as photochemistry, electrochemistry, and organic catalysis, for the past few years [1-2]. Graphene-based materials hold unique features, such as large surface, high water dispersibility, intrinsic low mass, easy surface modifications, and ample oxygen-carrying functionalities [3-4], which might be promising candidates as catalysts or supports. Copper is a low-cost transition metal. Efficient catalysts of copper nanoparticles on graphene oxide support are successfully developed for controllably catalyzing the coupling reactions [5]. In this research, we successfully demonstrated GO/amine as a reinforcement for a metal substrate nanocomposite to preparation of homogeneously dispersed GO/amine/Cu nanocomposite powders. Functional groups of GO helped to disperse the GO flakes and form chemical bonds with metal ions. The prepared nanocatalyst were characterized by a variety of techniques, FT-IR, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. Prepared nanocatalyst functionalized for coupling reaction at a green condition (Scheme 1).