CuO nanoparticles supported on three‐dimensional nitrogen‐doped graphene as a promising catalyst for thermal decomposition of ammonium perchlorate

In the present work, CuO nanoparticles grown on three‐dimensional nitrogen‐doped graphene‐based frameworks (CuO@3D‐(N)GFs) were synthesized using a two‐step method. After the synthesis of three‐dimensional nitrogen‐doped graphene, CuO nanoparticles were deposited on it, by adding cupric acetate followed by thermal treatment. Different analysis methods were used to characterize the products. The as‐prepared nanocomposite was used as a promising catalyst for thermal decomposition of ammonium perchlorate (AP) as one of the most common oxidizer in composite propellants. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetry analysis (TGA) techniques were used to investigate the thermal decomposition of ammonium perchlorate. According to the DSC/TGA, high temperature decomposition of AP decreased to 111 °C in the presence of 4% CuO@3D‐(N)GFs and the total heat release (ΔH) from decomposition of AP increased to 1893 J g^?1 which is much more than 590 J g^?1 for pure AP.     

Natural hydroxyapatite‐supported MnO2: a green heterogeneous catalyst for selective aerobic oxidation of alkylarenes and alcohols

Natural hydroxyapatite‐supported MnO₂ (MnO₂@NHAp) was easily prepared in situ from reduction of potassium permanganate with natural hydroxyapatite derived from cow bones in water at room temperature, and its structure was characterized using flame atomic absorption spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy. The catalytic activity of the synthesized catalyst was investigated for the aerobic oxidation of alkylarenes and alcohols. MnO₂@NHAp shows excellent catalytic performance for the oxidation of alkylarenes and alcohols to their corresponding carbonyl compounds without using any other oxidizing agent. This catalyst can be readily recycled and reused for several runs without any significant loss of efficiency. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Vitamin B12 supported on graphene oxide: As a bio‐based catalyst for selective aerobic oxidation of alcohols

The environmental impact of chemical processes has now opened new windows of opportunity for bio‐based catalysts. In this paper a highly active bio‐based catalyst of vitamin B₁₂ supported on graphene oxide nanosheets is reported for the selective aerobic oxidation of alcohols to the corresponding carbonyl compounds. Operational simplicity, mild reaction conditions, high yield and selectivity, non‐hazardous nature, commercial availability and affordability are the main advantages of this novel catalytic system.     

Synthesis of gold nanoparticles decorated on sulfonated three‐dimensional graphene nanocomposite and application as a highly efficient and recyclable heterogeneous catalyst for Ullmann homocoupling of aryl iodides and reduction of p‐nitrophenol

Gold nanoparticles were decorated onto sulfonated three‐dimensional graphene (3DG‐SO₃H) through spontaneous chemical reduction of HAuCl₄ by 3DG‐SO₃H. This nanocomposite exhibited excellent catalytic activity for the synthesis of symmetric biaryls via the Ullmann homocoupling of aryl iodides in an aqueous medium. Additionally, this nanocomposite was used as a catalyst for the reduction of p‐nitrophenol to p‐aminophenol. The catalyst could be used more than six times successively without significant deactivation.     

Electroless‐coated magnetic three‐dimensional graphene with silver nanoparticles used for the determination of pesticides in fruit samples

A new type of adsorbent composed of magnetic three‐dimensional graphene coated with silver nanoparticles was synthesized by an electroless technique and used in the magnetic solid‐phase extraction of selected pesticides (fenitrothion, chlorpyrifos, and hexaconazole) before gas chromatography with a micro‐electron capture detector. The adsorbent was characterized using Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, vibrating sample magnetometry, and field‐emission scanning electron microscopy. The important extraction parameters such as pH, adsorbent dose, extraction time, and desorption conditions were investigated. Under the optimal conditions, the analytical figures of merit were obtained as: linear dynamic range of 0.1–5 ng/g with determination coefficients of 0.991–0.996; limit of detection of 0.07–0.13 ng/g; limit of quantification of 0.242–0.448 ng/g; and the intraday and interday relative standard deviations (C = 5 ng/g, n = 3) were 3.8–8.7 and 6.6–8.9%, respectively. The developed method was successfully applied for analysis of the selected pesticides in tomato and grape with extraction recoveries in the range of 72.8–109.6%.     

Visible‐light‐driven self‐cleaning SERS substrate of silver nanoparticles and graphene oxide decorated nitrogen‐doped titania nanotube array

Graphene oxide (GO) and silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) sequentially decorated nitrogen‐doped titania nanotube array (N‐TiO₂ NTA) had been designed as visible‐light‐driven self‐cleaning surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate for a recyclable SERS detection application. N‐TiO₂ NTA was fabricated by anodic oxidation and then doping nitrogen treatment in ammonia atmosphere, acting as a visible‐light‐driven photocatalyst and supporting substrate. Ag/GO/N‐TiO₂ NTA was prepared by decorating GO monolayer through an impregnation process and then depositing Ag NPs through a polyol process on the surface of N‐TiO₂ NTA, acting as the collection of organic molecule and Raman enhancement. The SERS activity of Ag/GO/N‐TiO₂ NTA was evaluated using methyl blue as an organic probe molecule, revealing the analytical enhancement factor of 4.54 × 10⁴. Ag/GO/N‐TiO₂ NTA was applied as active SERS substrate to determine a low‐affinity organic pollutant of bisphenol A, revealing the detection limit of as low as 5 × 10^?7 m . Ag/GO/N‐TiO₂ NTA could also achieve self‐cleaning function for a recycling utilization through visible‐light‐driven photocatalytic degradation of the adsorbed organic molecules. Ag/GO/N‐TiO₂ NTA has been successfully reused for five times without an obvious decay in accuracy and sensitivity for organic molecule detection. The unique properties of this SERS substrate enable it to have a promising application for the sensitive and recyclable SERS detection of low‐affinity organic molecules. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

One‐step synthesis of Pt@three‐dimensional graphene composite hydrogel: an efficient recyclable catalyst for reduction of 4‐nitrophenol

A Pt@three‐dimensional graphene (Pt@3DG) composite hydrogel with a unique porous nanostructure was prepared and used as an efficient, recyclable and robust catalyst for the reduction of 4‐nitrophenol to 4‐aminophenol under mild conditions. The influence of graphene architecture on catalytic activities was comparatively investigated by loading the same amount of Pt on reduced graphene oxide. Pt@3DG exhibits a very high catalytic activity owing to the three‐dimensional macroporous framework with high specific surface area, numerous activation sites and efficient transport pathways. Moreover, catalyst separation can be easily achieved by simple filtration, and the catalyst can be reused for at least five runs, maintaining its high catalytic activity. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

PdCo bimetallic nanoparticles supported on three‐dimensional graphene as a highly active catalyst for Sonogashira cross‐coupling reaction

PdCo bimetallic nanoparticles (NPs) were decorated over three‐dimensional graphene (3DG) in a facile manner by reducing palladium chloride and cobalt chloride in the presence of ethylene glycol as reducing, stabilizing and dispersing agent. The PdCo NPs–3DG nanocomposite was characterized using Raman, X‐ray photoelectron and energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopies, X‐ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The obtained catalyst can act as an efficient catalyst for Sonogashira cross‐coupling reactions in aqueous media.     

Gold nanoparticles supported on thiol‐functionalized reduced graphene oxide as effective recyclable catalyst for synthesis of tetrahydro‐4H‐chromenes in aqueous media

Gold nanoparticles supported on thiol‐functionalized reduced graphene oxide (AuNPs@RGO‐SH) were found to be a biocompatible, stable, recyclable heterogeneous catalyst. The catalysts were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE‐SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), and X‐ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD). The obtained catalyst was used in synthesis of tetrahydro‐4H‐chromenes in aqueous media with excellent yields. The catalysts could be easily separated from the reaction mixture and recovered several times without a significant loss of activity.     

One‐step hydrothermal synthesis of magnetic nitrogen‐doped graphene for magnetic solid‐phase extraction of nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs in environmental water samples

Graphene oxide has received extensive attention because of its unique properties and potential applications. In this study, magnetic nitrogen‐doped graphene was prepared by one‐step hydrothermal reaction using urea as the dopant and reductant, and ferroferric oxide nanoparticles were in situ deposited on the surface of the nanohybrids. The magnetic nitrogen‐doped graphene was characterized using various physical and chemical methods. It was used as a new adsorbent for the magnetic solid‐phase extraction of four nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs from the river water. The parameters influencing the extraction efficiency were optimized in detail. Under optimal conditions, this method provided a wide linear range (5–200 ng/mL). The limits of detection were in the range of 1.07–5.10 ng/mL. The recoveries varied from 81.2 to 121.5% with relative standard deviations of less than 10.8%. Overall, we can conclude that the proposed method offers an efficient pretreatment and enrichment and can be successfully applied for the extraction and determination of nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs in complex matrices.     

Pd@tetrahedral hollow magnetic nanoparticles coated with N‐doped porous carbon as an efficient catalyst for hydrogenation of nitroarenes

Hollow magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) with tetrahedral morphology were synthesized and then covered by a shell prepared by coating with melamine–formaldehyde followed by the introduction of glucose‐derived carbon. Subsequently, Pd nanoparticles were immobilized and the core–shell nanocomposite was carbonized. The obtained magnetic catalyst was successfully applied for the hydrogenation of nitroarenes in aqueous media. To investigate the effects of the morphology of MNPs, the nature of carbon shell, and the order of incorporation of Pd nanoparticles, several control catalysts, including the MNPs with different morphologies (disc‐like and cylinder); MNPs coated with different shells (sole glucose‐derived carbon or melamine–formaldehyde carbon shell); and a nanocomposite, in which Pd was immobilized after carbonization, were prepared and examined as catalyst for the model reaction. To justify the observed different catalytic activities of the catalysts, their Pd loadings, leaching, and specific surface areas were compared. The results confirmed that tetrahedral MNPs coated with porous N‐rich carbon shell exhibited the best catalytic activity. The high catalytic activity of this catalyst was attributed to its high surface area and the interaction of N‐rich shell with Pd nanoparticles that led to the higher Pd loading and suppressed Pd leaching.     

Manganese oxide nanoparticles supported on graphene oxide as an efficient nanocatalyst for the synthesis of 1,2,4-oxadiazoles from aldehydes

The easy synthesis of graphene oxide (GO)-supported manganese dioxide (MnO₂) nanoparticles as a stable heterogeneous nanocatalyst (MnO₂@GO) is described. This catalyst was investigated in the synthesis of 1,2,4-oxadiazoles from amidoximes and aldehydes via a cyclization and oxidation process. The nanocomposite was prepared and characterized using various techniques. The catalytic application of the nanocomposite was examined in the reaction of a variety of aldehydes with aliphatic and aromatic amidoximes. The stable and robust catalyst was recycled for seven consecutive runs without a significant decrease in the catalytic activity.     

Nitrogen‐doped C60 as a robust catalyst for CO oxidation

The O₂ activation and CO oxidation on nitrogen‐doped C₅₉N fullerene are investigated using first‐principles calculations. The calculations indicate that the C₅₉N fullerene is able to activate O₂ molecules resulting in the formation of superoxide species ( ) both kinetically and thermodynamically. The active superoxide can further react with CO to form CO₂ via the Eley–Rideal mechanism by passing a stepwise reaction barrier of only 0.20 eV. Ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulation is carried out to evidence the feasibility of the Eley–Rideal mechanism. In addition, the second CO oxidation takes place with the remaining atomic O without any activation energy barrier. The full catalytic reaction cycles can occur energetically favorable and suggest a two‐step Eley–Rideal mechanism for CO oxidation with O₂ catalyzed by the C₅₉N fullerene. The catalytic properties of high percentage nitrogen‐doped fullerene (C₄₈N₁₂) is also examined. This work contributes to designing higher effective carbon‐based materials catalysts by a dependable theoretical insight into the catalytic properties of the nitrogen‐doped fullerene. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Palladium nanoparticles supported on cucurbit[6]uril: an efficient heterogeneous catalyst for the Suzuki reaction under mild conditions

A new NC palladacycle was synthesized and supported on cucurbit[6]uril (CB[6]). The CB[6]‐supported palladium was used as an efficient nanocatalyst for the Suzuki reaction. In these reactions various aryl halides were reacted with arylboronic acids in H₂O–EtOH at both room temperature and 40 °C. The obtained Pd nanocatalyst exhibited excellent reactivity and stability in C ? C bond formation, which confirms that the catalyst is a completely active heterogeneous species. The Pd nanocatalyst was characterized using X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Gold nanoparticles supported on ionic liquid‐modified cellulose as an efficient and recyclable catalyst for the oxidation of alcohols to aldehydes/ketones and reduction of nitroarenes

A novel catalyst of gold nanoparticles supported on cellulose fibres with the ionic liquid framework (Au NPs@CL‐IL) has been shown to be a highly active and recyclable catalyst for the oxidation of primary and secondary alcohols and reduction of nitroarenes in aqueous media. The reusability of this catalyst is high, and it can be reused ten times without a significant decrease in its catalytic activity. Furthermore, transmission electron micrographs of the recovered catalyst show the presence of well‐distributed Au NPs on the CL‐IL fibres without any aggregation.     

Co-salen functionalized on graphene as an efficient heterogeneous catalyst for cyclohexene oxidation

Co-salen functionalized on graphene with an average pore size of 27.7 nm as a heterogeneous catalyst exhibited good catalytic activity and recyclability in cyclohexene oxidation.     

PdCu nanoparticles supported on graphene: an efficient and recyclable catalyst for reduction of nitroarenes

Graphene supported PdCu bimetallic nanoparticles were synthesized through coreduction of PdCl₂ and CuCl₂·H₂O. X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron (XPS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were performed to characterize the structures. The complex could be used as an efficient catalyst for reduction of nitroarenes to the corresponding anilines in the presence of NaBH₄ and recycled up to six runs without significant loss of activity.     

In situ self‐assembled reduced graphene oxide aerogel embedded with nickel oxide nanoparticles for the high‐efficiency separation of ovalbumin

A three‐dimensional reduced graphene oxide aerogel with embedded nickel oxide nanoparticles was prepared by a one‐step self‐assembly reaction in a short time. The nanoparticles could be captured into the interior of reduced graphene oxide network during the formation of the three‐dimensional architecture. The composite exhibited porosity, good biocompatibility, and abundant metal affinity binding sites. The aerogel was used to isolate ovalbumin selectively from egg white, and favorable adsorption was achieved at pH 3. An adsorption efficiency of 90.6% was obtained by using 1 mg of the composite for adsorbing 70 μg/mL of ovalbumin in 1.0 mL of sample solution, and afterwards a recovery of 90.7% was achieved by using an eluent of 1.0 mL Britton–Robinson buffer solution at pH 5. After the adsorption/desorption, ovalbumin showed no change in the conformation. The adsorption behavior of ovalbumin on the reduced graphene oxide composite well fitted to the Langmuir adsorption model, and a corresponding theoretical maximum adsorption capacity was 1695.2 mg/g. A sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis assay demonstrated that the aerogel could selectively isolate ovalbumin from chicken egg white.     

还原态氧化石墨烯载Pd纳米催化剂对甲酸氧化的电催化性能

采用改进的Hummers法氧化石墨后,对其超声剥离成氧化石墨烯水溶液,继之通过乙二醇还原Pd金属离子和氧化石墨烯,得到了还原态氧化石墨烯（RGO）负载Pd纳米催化剂,并用于甲酸的电催化氧化.透射电子显微镜和X射线衍射结果显示：负载于RGO上的Pd粒子平均粒径为3.8nm,其优先在RGO的褶皱和边缘处生长.电化学测试表明：RGO上残存的含氧基团降低了Pd催化剂受CO毒化的程度,Pd/RGO催化剂表现出了较商业化Pd/C更高的电催化活性和更好的稳定性.