Preparation of nanocellulose/reduced graphene oxide matrix loaded with cuprous oxide nanoparticles for efficient catalytic reduction of 4‐nitrophenol

Abstract The paper reports on the preparation of cellulose nanocrystals/reduced graphene oxide matrix loaded with cuprous oxide nanoparticles (CNC/rGO‐Cu 2 O) through a simple solvothermal method and its application for 4‐nitrophenol reduction to 4‐aminophenol using sodium borohydride. The CNC/rGO‐Cu 2 O nanocomposite was formed chemically by first mixing CNC and graphene oxide (GO) followed by complexation of the negatively charged functional groups of CNC/GO with Cu 2+ ions and subsequent heating at 100°C. This resulted in the simultaneous reduction of GO to rGO and the formation of Cu 2 O nanoparticles. The as‐elaborated nanocomposite was firstly characterized using different techniques such as atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, UV–Vis spectrophotometry, Raman spectroscopy and x‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Then, it was successfully applied for efficient catalytic reduction of 4‐nitrophenol to 4‐aminophenol using sodium borohydride: the reduction was completed in about 6 min. After eight times use, the catalyst still maintained good catalytic performance. Compared to CNC/rGO, rGO/Cu 2 O and free Cu 2 O nanoparticles, the CNC/rGO‐Cu 2 O nanocomposite exhibits higher catalytic activity even at lower copper loading.