Pristine graphene, as the name suggests is the closest to graphite
structurally among all the forms of graphene that are synthesized
using different methods. High electronic conductivity, large surface
area, and absence of defects make this perfect two-dimensional arrangement
of sp2 hybridized carbon atoms a perfect support material
for metal or metal oxide nanoparticles. We have introduced a quick
and green route to synthesize CuO nanocomposites having pristine graphene
as a support material by microwave assisted hydrothermal reaction.
The nanocomposite exhibited very high catalytic activity in copper
catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) reactions compared with
reduced graphene oxide (RGO)-CuO nanocomposite and CuO nanoparticles.
The presence of pristine graphene in the nanocomposite increases the
catalytic activity due to its better conductivity and ability to adsorb
reactants through π–π interaction than RGO. The
pristine graphene-CuO nanocomposite showed very good recyclability
with much less leaching of the metal from it. The CuAAC reactions
could be completed in a short duration (1 h), at low reaction temperature
(30 °C), using water as a “green” solvent with
a small amount of the pristine graphene-CuO nanocomposite as catalyst
(0.51 mol %) and sodium ascorbate as cocatalyst (1 mol %).
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