A copper nitride catalyst for the efficient hydroxylation of aryl halides under ligand-free conditions

Abstract

Copper nitride (Cu₃N) was used as a heterogeneous catalyst for the hydroxylation of aryl halides under ligand-free conditions. The cubic Cu₃N nanoparticles showed high catalytic activity, comparable to those of conventional Cu catalysts with nitrogen ligands, demonstrating that the nitrogen atoms in Cu₃N act as functional ligands that promote hydroxylation.