Solvent-thermal preparation of a CuCo2O4/RGO heterocomposite: an efficient catalyst for the reduction of p-nitrophenol

Abstract

The reduction of a nitro group on the benzene ring is a process of great significance in chemical engineering, as the reduction of p-nitrophenol to p-aminophenol presents a classic example. In this study, a low-cost CuCo₂O₄/RGO (RGO: reduced graphene oxide) heterocomposite was prepared via the solvent-thermal method to facilitate catalytic reduction of p-nitrophenol, and its properties were investigated by means of XRD, FTIR, TEM and N₂ adsorption–desorption measurements. Also, the catalytic activity of the as-synthesized CuCo₂O₄/RGO composite was investigated in the reduction of p-nitrophenol to p-aminophenol by NaBH₄, which achieved complete conversion within 6 min. The CuCo₂O₄/RGO composite is superior to the current catalysts including some noble metals, in terms of the catalytic activity, recycling stability and cost, which indicated the possibility of realizing the industrial production of p-aminophenol in the future.