Facile preparation of Cu-Fe oxide nanoplates for ammonia borane decomposition and tandem nitroarene hydrogenation.

A facile substrate involved strategy was used to prepare Cu-Fe LDO (layered double oxide) nanoplates. The material exhibited good-efficiency for decomposition of ammonia borane (AB) in alkaline methanol solution. Significantly, the material also demonstrated excellent catalytic performance in the reduction of various nitroarenes by coupling with AB hydrolysis in a one pot tandem reaction, and gave excellent yields of the corresponding amine products.

Visible light driven photo-reduction of Cu to CuO to Cu in water for photocatalytic hydrogen production.

Metal nanoparticles are synthesized various methods and have found many applications in areas such as sensing, electronics and catalysis. Light induced formation of noble metal nanoparticles, especially platinum, in solution or loaded on semiconductor surfaces, is an established practice in photocatalysis. Nevertheless, preparation of catalytically-active non-precious metal nanoparticles photo-reduction still have room to be further explored.